Innovative Writing Instruction: Writing Selves, Writing Stories

Author(s): Valerie Kinloch, Audra Slocum, Mary Ressler and Ryan Rish
Source: The English Journal, Vol. 98, No. 5 (May, 2009), pp. 103-107
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40503307
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WritingSelves,
WritingStories
Whateverour engagementswith
writing,we- teachers,research-
ers, students,artists,community
activists,and familymembers - ences.These includeengagements that we individuallyauthor,and
have various and varied writing
storiesto share.Maybesomeofus
can recall writingin secretjour-
nalsdecoratedwitha lockand key
and hiding themunderneathour
pillowsat nightand in our back-
packs during the day. Others
mightrecallwriting,drawing,or
mappinginnermostthoughtsnot
on paper,but in ourimaginations,
hoping that they would not be
revealedforfearofpunishmentor
judgment.Some mightadmit to
not having the time, desire, or
freedomto writebecauseofpoliti-
cal, civil, social, or educative
restrictions.Thereare otherswho
might not, figuratively, write at
all until,as writingscholarMin-
zhanLu describes,we move"From
Silenceto Words"(437).
The writingstorieswe haveand
the ways we rememberand dis-
memberthemcan informour nar-
and
rativelives,teachingidentities,
whatI call ourwritingselves.It is
my beliefthat our writingselves
encapsulateexperiences thatdefine
with,ifnotactual
us as participants
writers of,wordsand writtensym-
bols thatdailysurroundus as well
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Valerie Kinloch, Editor
Innovative
Writing
Instruction
as ourstudents.Heavilyinfluenced writing,and during virtual and
by literatetraditions(i.e., reading, face-to-facemeetings. Together,
writing, listening, performing,theirperspectives, or writingsto-
agencies,and multimodalcommu- ries, can inform our thinking
nicativeforms),our writingselves about writing, challenge us to
exemplifymany human experi- reconsider writing experiences
with textsand symbolicobjects, invite us to cherishthe writing
involvements withincomplexrela- encounterswe collaboratively cre-
tionships,and strugglesovervoice. ate. Individually,thesestoriescan
Tapping into our writingselves reawakenourdesiresto be innova-
and the storiesthatemerge,how- tive and to stimulateothers,as
ever partial,howeverincomplete theystimulateus, and to follow
and a work-in-progress, and how- the advice of poet AdrienneRich
everhesitantly or eagerly, can open who beckonseach of us "to write
up a world of "innovative writing as if your life depended on it"
instruction" forour students,our (32).
colleagues, ourselves,and others
yetunknownto us. Am I Still a First-Year
In thisthird"InnovativeWrit-
ing Instruction" column,I invited
Student?
a formerhigh school teacheron Audra Slocum
thevergeofpreparingfordoctoral The Ohio State University
candidacy exams, an instructor slocum.81@osu.edu
and doctoralstudentinterestedin After six years of orchestrating
writing research/practice, and a and groomingthe brainstorming,
universitysupervisor for teacher drafting,modeling,conferencing,
education preservicestudentsto drafting,reflecting, editing,and
share aspects of their writing publishing processes of high
selves,writingstories.Their per- school students,hereI am, stuck
spectives,formedthroughcollab- betweenbrainstorming and draft-
orative,democraticengagements ing thisstory.The agitationin my
with peers,mentorteachers,and twitching, impatientlegs reminds
students,reveal the significance of me of the nonstop bouncing of
writing everywhere and all the basketball players' legs during
time.Actsofwriting,formythree journaltime.The gnawedthumb-
coauthors,occurin classroomsand nail on myrighthandsulksin sis-
cafés, while evaluating student terhoodwithback-rowseniorgirls
EnglishJournal98.5 (2009): 103-107 103
 WritingSelves, WritingStories

who had procrastinated on their perspective(i.e., hangingwiththe also herphrasing,argumentstruc-

personal essays until their nails "wrong" crowd). We often seek ture,and use ofevidence.Soon,we
werewhittleddown. I am sitting ways to minimize socializing or weremeetingto "talkout a paper"
at the table,one minutewithmy carefully constructrulesforsocial in which one personwould take
arm floppedover my head, the interactionin classrooms.In our notes while the other rambled
nextminuteleaningbackwithmy writingclassroom,thiscan be seen throughideas or stubbornspots.
legs up on a chair.Where I once in effortsto include peer confer- The scribe would reflectback,
was theenthusiastic cheerleader of encing.Fromworksheets to check- pointing out hidden brilliance,
writingtime and cajolerof those lists,teachers are oftenconcerned fleshingout the hesitantclaim,
waywardstudents,I am now the with regulating language and
gawkygraduatestudentwriter. behavior.In my experienceas a Tapping into our writingselves
Newly positioned as a novice I
teacher, found a tensionbetween and the stories that emerge,
on the peripheryof the doctoral myefforts to makepeerconferenc- however
partial, however
studentcommunity, at timesI feel ing a meaningfulexperiencewith
moreakin to a highschoolninth- realbenefits foryoungwritersand incomplete and a work-in-
and however
gradestudent.I entered,unfamil- the knowledgethat the relation- progress,
iarwiththelanguage,procedures, shipsand contextwerecontrived. hesitantly or eagerly, can open
locations,and wardrobesexpected Studentbeliefin thevalue ofpeer up a world of "innovative
by my professors and new peers. conferencing was often tenuous. writing instruction" for our
How does one become the first- In the classes that had the best students, our colleagues,
yearstudent?Is it simplyadmis- social cohesion,I foundthat stu- ourselves, and others
yet
sion to the school or program? dents entered into peer confer-
known to us.
Ninth-gradestudentsare forged ences with less resistance.While
on Facebook,in the hallways,caf- not difficult to surmisethatcom-
eterias,and classroomsjustas doc- fortplays a major role,it became and probingformoreconnections.
toral students are formed in clearthatstudentsbelievedin the A draftlater,we would repeatthe
seminars,writinggroups, coffee feedbacktheyreceived.Conversa- processat problematicareas.This
shops, and firstconferences.In tionsaboutstudents'writingsthat became our pattern for term
otherwords,by social immersion lived beyondfeedbackformswere papers, manuscripts,proposals,
in thesenew culturalworlds,we evidence that they were taking and presentations. As I begin to
students
first-year learn to be com- writingseriously. Students' con- for
prepare my candidacyexams,
petentmembers. tinued conversationshelped to and she,thewritingofherdisser-
As a part of this membership, constructa communityofwriters. tation,our timescribingthe oth-
our identitiesas writerswithin Through friendshipnetworksin er's thoughtswill only increase.
thesecontextsarealso constructed. the ninth-gradeclass, the web of As educators,we both knew we
How studentstalk about writing supportforwritingand peerfeed- were scaffolding each other's
assignments, appropriate aca- back strengthened. appropriationof academic lan-
demiclanguage(ornot),is negoti- In my experiencein graduate guage, the rhetoricalstructureof
ated amid slamminglockerdoors school,I foundmypeerconferenc- the genre,and the use of a theo-
and coffee chatter. The social ing partnerwhena friendwas pre- retical construct.More interest-
aspectsof learningto be a writer paring for candidacyexams. She ingly,as socialpeers,we knewthat
withina culturalcommunity, such wanted someone to listen to her it was up to us to engage in this
as sophomorespeechclassor qual- talk throughpoints.Not just lis- meaning-makingprocess and to
itativeresearchmethodsclass,are ten; she wantedsomeoneto listen write,as the openingof this col-
significantin constructingsuc- criticallyfor gaps in her argu- umn describes,hesitantly, innova-
cess, motivation,persistence,and mentsthatwould make the com- tively,and even awkwardly.We
value. As teacherswe recognize mittee members jump. As I were writingin much the same
the influenceof peerson our stu- listened,I becameattunedto not ways my high school students
dents,but oftenfroma negative onlythe contentof herwordsbut werewriting.

104 May2009

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 Innovative Writing Instruction

That Dreadful Red Pen boisterouslyshared her object: and neverwantedto go back. For
that dreadfulred pen. Yes, a red many years,she did not believe
Mary Ressler
The Ohio State University pen, much like the one Phillip,a that she was intelligent and
ressler.20@osu.edu studentfromtheSeptember2008 insisted that she did not know
I approacheveryacademicquarter issue of "Innovative Writing how to write.Her writingself,as
byemployingan activitywithmy Valerienamesit at the beginning
I wonder: As a teacher, how am
undergraduatestudentsthat one of thiscolumn,was damaged,and
of my education professors,Dr. I affectingmy students (sense she was convincedthatshe no lon-
Edmiston, shared with me and of self, engagement with ger had the tools, knowledge,or
that I would like to share with writing,feelings about voice to write,write,and write.
middle school and high school teachers) with my marks and However, once she was given
educators.Forthesecondclassses- the ways I evaluate their enough time and distance from
sion, I ask studentsto bring in thatteacherand was able to regain
writing? confidencein herselfas a student,
symbolic objects that represent
their experienceswith someone Instruction," spokeso vehemently she realized that she wanted to
who had a significantimpact on against. This student talked in becomea teacherso thatshecould
theirlearning.In the six quarters greatdetailabouthowhersecond- do theoppositeofwhatherteacher
thatI have taughtthe class,all of gradeteacherwould use a redpen did. She wantedto encourage,not
my students,except one, have to mark up everythingshe ever discourage,youngwriters.
brought in objects that repre- wrote and would then use her Every time I grade students'
sented their relationshipswith paperas an exampleofwhatnotto writtenwork,I recallthe storyof
individualswho havehad positive do when writing.She explained the second-gradeteacherand her
influenceson theirlives.It was in howherteacheralmostscarredher red pen. I wonder:As a teacher,
the firstquarterthatI taughtthe forlife,and forthe longesttime how am I affectingmy students
coursethat I had a studentwho she fearedwriting,hated school, (sense of self, engagementwith

English Journal 105

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 WritingSelves, WritingStories

writing,feelingsabout teachers) because I lacked a teacherwho roles, settings,and relationships

with my marks and the ways I positivelyinfluencedmy writing. whenI writeto,with,about,andfor
evaluatetheirwriting?I realizeI Let's put away that dreadfulred preservice teachers.
teach college students,and the pen as we encouragestudentsto Over the courseof theireduca-
influenceI have is different from exploretheirwritingselves,writ- tion program,mostfrequently we
thatof a second-gradeor a tenth- ing stories. writeemailmessagestoeachother:
gradeteacher.Regardlessofgrade questions, feedback, updates,
levelorage, teachersleaveimpres- WritingRelationships advice,andnotesofencouragement.
sionson students,whichleads me In our face-to-facesupervisory
Ryan Rish
to ask: How much of a student's The Ohio State University meetingsand electronic exchanges,
propensityforbelievingthat she rish.7@osu.edu we are layingfoundations forrela-
or he is a writer- a strongwriter, Mentor,teacher,soundingboard, tionshipsthat will sustainformal
a weak writer,or not a writerat role model,gadfly,coach, trouble evaluations and pointedadvice.We
-
all is dependent on her or his shooter,cheerleader, ombudsman. are learninghow to worktogether,
teacher?What am I doing whenI As a university supervisorofpreser- and we aredefining ourboundaries
grade students' writings? Am I vice teachers, I work within and for what aspects of ourselvesare
at as
just looking it, opposed to among these rolesin complex rela- open and included in the workof
engaging with it, to determine tionships. Of mymanytasks, one is and
developingteaching mentoring
whetherit is an A, a B, a C, or to support and encourage new personas.We are learningwhat
unsatisfactory based on already Englishteachers as theytransfer the motivatesus and sustainsour pas-
existing standards? Or am I conceptual work of the university sion forhelping,and beinghelped
investedin positivelycommuni- to the practicalworldsof middle by,others.Along with this learn-
catingwithstudentsby listening, schooland highschoolclassrooms. ing,we areconstantly writingwith
as literacy scholar Katherine each other.The preservice teachers
What are your writingstories
Schultz(76) tellsus, to whatstu- a
keep journal of their experiences
dentsareexpressing to me in writ- and those of your students? with student teaching.In their
ten form?As a currentstudent How can these stories inform journalsthey recordobservations
and instructor, I striveto analyze our work across grade levels- and pose questions about their
papersforthe latteras I read for middle school, high school, schoolsettingsand theiremerging
themeanings,beauty,and creativ- teachingpractices/approaches. As a
college, and beyond?
ity in students'
ideas,perspectives, university supervisor who is a for-
and voices. Our supervisory meetings and writ- mer high school I
teacher, respond
When I thinkabout my writ- tencommunication throughout the to theirjournalentries,comment-
ing self/writing stories,I believeI durationof theirprogramforma ing on observations, offering work-
am a competentwriter.However, nexusforcoursework, observational ing suggestionsto questions,and
I knowthatI havecometo under- experiences, inquiryprojects,port- posingnew directions thatmayor
stand myselfas such because of folio development,and teaching. maynotguidefutureobservations.
thepositivereinforcements I have Acrosstheserolesand settings,we At the same time,I am learning
receivedthroughoutmy careeras writetogetherin relationships. As frommypreservice students'writ-
a student.Had my papers been with all relationships, no two are ten observations, reflecting on how
theones held in frontof a class of thesameand theyarein a constant theymake meaningand negotiate
mypeersbymyelementary, junior stateofflux.Eachpreservice teacher identities.Writing allows such
high, or high school English has hisor her own goals,challenges, observations to be madeandshared.
teacheras thebad example,riddled strengths,and blind spots when During student teaching,thejour-
withredmarksbleedingfromthe beginningto learn the craftof nal exercisesinclude the mentor
-
page,I doubtI wouldhavebecome teaching, and each preservice teacher.All threeofus preservice
a teacher.I doubt I would have teacher is motivated by and teacher, mentor teacher,and uni-
-
become much of anything not respondsdifferently to feedback.I versitysupervisor - writetogether
because I lacked the skill, but tryto be consciousof all of these aboutlessonstaughtand observed,

106 May2009

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 InnovativeWritingInstruction

schooland curriculumissues,and tion to prospectiveemployers.In this yet-to-be-revealed story.My

challengesand victorieswith stu-
dents.While ourperspectives
often
we workat sustainingrela-
differ,
tionshipsorientedaround preser-
vice teacherslearningtheir craft
and engagingin reflection
through
writing.
At variousmilestonesof their
program,I am writingaboutmy
preserviceteachers. I complete
formal observation forms and
evaluationsof Praxisdomainarti-
facts.Preserviceteachersand uni-
versity professors read these
documents,whichare includedin
the preserviceteachers'develop-
mentalportfolios. Hence,prospec-
tive employersmightpotentially
read these documents.While I
have an officialresponsibility to
evaluate, make suggestions for
improvement, and representpre-
serviceteachers'currentstate of
developmentfor the program,I
also haveto remainfaithful to the
relationships I have established
with them. My goal is forthese
evaluationsto be fairand repre-
sentative,but also to mediate
futurerefinement of theirteach-
ing craft.
At the end of theirprogram,I
writeformypreservice teachersby
craftinglettersof recommenda-
theseletters,I represent
who they
are as teachersfromwhat I have
observed,documented,and wit-
nessedfromour relationshipand
our writingworktogether.I want
them to become strongteachers
who value theirstudentsand their
students' writing experiences.
Writing,then,servesmany pur-
poses in my workwithpreservice
studentsand in my work as a
teachereducator.
Making Known Public:
WritingOur Selves and
Our Stories
What are yourwritingstoriesand
thoseof yourstudents?How can
thesestoriesinform ourworkacross
grade levels- middle school,high
school,college, beyond?One of
and
my writingstoriescame to life
whenI was 17 yearsold.I waswalk-
ing home in the rainfroma local
grocery storein SouthCarolina.An
umbrellain one handand a brown Works Cited
grocer'spaperbag in theother,my Lu, Min-zhan."FromSilenceto Words:
imaginationwas overtakenby a
crowd of words that begged to Rich, Adrienne. What Is Found There:
comeout,to finda homeon paper.
I panicked!I stumbled,fearingthat
Schultz,Katherine.Listening:A Frame-
I would not get home in time to
write
retreatto a cornerto secretly
fearforcedme to standin the rain
and listento my imaginationas I
wroteon theexterior of thatpaper
bag with a whittled-down pencil.I
turnedthatstoryin as partofa lon-
ger assignmentfora high school
Englishclass. Eventually, I gained
enough confidenceto perform that
storyon thestageofmyhighschool
auditorium.
I shared this storywith my
class of high school seniors in
New YorkCity.Theyasked:How
do you learn to listen? Can you
bring writing from the outside
inside?Why do we separatelearn-
ing in school fromout of school?
As I recallthesequestions,I turn
to the storiesthatare writtenand
yet to be writtento encourage
othersto write, even if writing
happenswhen we are walkingin
therain.This way,we are making
meaningof and with our writing
selves.%
Writingas Struggle."College English
49.3 (1987): 437-48.
Notebookson Poetryand Politics.New
York: Norton, 1993.
workfor Teachingacross Differences.
New York:TeachersCollege,2003.

Valerie Kinloch is assistant professorin adolescent literacyand Englisheducation in the School of Teaching and Learningat
The Ohio State University.Her research interestsinclude the socioculturallives, literacies,and collaborativeengagements of
urban youthand adults across shiftingcontexts,withattentionto race, place, and communitychange. Her forthcomingbook
on youth literaciesand communitywill be published by Teachers College Press. Email her at kinloch.2@osu.edu. Audra
Slocum, a formerhigh school teacher in BetsyLayne, Kentucky,is a doctoral student in the School of Teaching and Learning
at The Ohio State University.Her research explores social justice-orientedteacher education, place-based education, and
Appalachian adolescent literacies.She may be reached at slocum.81@osu.edu . Mary Ressler, a formerEnglishand theater
highschool teacher,is a university supervisorforstudentteachers and a doctoral studentin the School of Teaching and Learn-
ing at The Ohio State She
University. is interestedin New LiteracyStudies, drama, and the impactof national policies on pub-
liceducation. Emailherat ressler.20@osu.edu. Ryan Rishra formerhighschool teacher in Newark,Ohio, is a doctoralstudent
in the School of Teaching and Learningat The Ohio State University. His researchexplores students' in- and out-of-schoollit-
eracies, student digitalmedia composition and comprehension,computer-mediatedcivicdiscourse,and Englishlanguage arts
teacher education. He may be reached at rish.7@osu.edu.

English Journal 107

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