Preparing to Teach

I have to say that, at least so far, I find this chapter to be the most interesting because it feel like Williams is being to demonstrate how we, as future teachers, actually go about the process of teaching writing. This feels fresh and exciting to me, probably because this means that I actually getting closer to becoming a teacher.

I think he raises some interesting points. Have a look (if you dare):
1. He points out that there is (or was?) a movement to abolish composition classes, mostly among postmodern critics.
2. He questions the value that reading/discussing literature has in a classroom, specifically in regard to topics related to composition.
3. He appears to be a proponent of student-centered instruction (at least in my view).

These are just a few things that I noticed in the text. There are many more items that can be discussed...more to come later during today's group presentation.

So far everything that I've learned has been based on theory, but yesterday I started my teacher observation work at Milton Hershey, and I got to see the writing process play itself out in a classroom for the first time. I noticed that my mentor teacher (or whatever he's called) used a few different methods as he worked with his sixth-grade students. First, he had them produce five-paragraph essays (all I got to see was the finished product) using what Williams would refer to as the process approach. I noticed that the students went through some sort of initial brainstorming session, which organized their ideas into a structured outline before actually writing out their rough drafts. Then they did a revision, and finally, the final draft, which the students wrote on colored paper.

Later in the day they also did a freewrite. He read them a story (or at least most of it), but before it came to an end, he abruptly stopped and had the students create their ending to the story, which he will later collect as a homework assignment. I liked this idea, because the students really seemed to enjoy that fact that they were given an opportunity to devise something of their own creation. Or at least it seemed that way…I saw a lot of smiles and laughter, so I guess they liked it.

I find myself wondering about this whole talk/write thing…I have never heard of anything like it, and, frankly, I don’t know what to make of it. I have the faintest idea if it works, or, I guess I should say, if it would work for me. Maybe, I don’t know? At least it works for someone out there. I will share some other stuff during today’s group discussion. Or maybe I’ll just stand there and say nothing while the other members of my group do all the talking…