Excerpt
It was in this setting that I decided I wanted to use writing to build a sense of community and to provide a forum for students and parents to express fears, anxieties, and concerns.
I wanted to keep track of what happened when parents and children wrote about the same subject. It was my belief that through writing a teacher can include those families who might otherwise feel alienated from the school; it’s a way for parents to stay involved in their children’s education. I was also interested in what effect, if any, the parental writing might have on the children. This was another form of communication for the children, the parents, and the teacher.
Also Recommended
See all
Positioning Writers as Decision Makers
This short chapter from When Teaching Writing Gets Tough: Challenges and Possibilities in Secondary Writing Instruction offers three suggestions for changing your writing instruction to support student writers as independent decision makers.
Read more
Chief Red Cloud and James Cook: An Agate Friendship
This video - designed as a three-part interview accompanied by writing prompts - focuses on the friendship and cultural sharing between Chief Red Cloud and homesteader James Cook of Agate Ranch.
Read more