10/14 - for Ryan, Kathie, Jill, Alex

I firmly believe that if students are to be successful in school, at work, and in their personal lives, 

they must learn to write. This requires that they receive adequate practice and instruction in writing, 

as this complex skill does not develop naturally. A basic goal of schooling then is to teach students to 

use this versatile tool effectively and flexibly. Many schools across the world do not achieve this 

objective, as an inordinate number of students do not acquire the writing skills needed for success in 

society today. One reason why this is the case is that many students do not receive the writing 

instruction they need or deserve. 

This week’s readings seemed to help identify factors that inhibit good writing instruction, including 

instructional time, teachers’ preparation and beliefs about writing; national, state, district, and school 

policies, and historical, social, cultural, and political influences. However, I would be interested in further 

examining how we can address these factors and change classroom writing practices for the better 

across the world by increasing pertinent stakeholders’ knowledge about writing, with the goal of 

developing and actualizing visions for writing instruction at the policy, school, and classroom levels.

Graham and Perin advance this idea that writing in general — and teaching writing skills to struggling 

adolescent learners in particular — has not received enough attention by researchers and educators. 

Graham and Perin argue that for the 21st century, "writing well is not just an option for young people — 

it is a necessity."

Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling & Mentor Texts addresses the need for 

the development of writers who will be able to succeed in whichever career they choose. Gallagher 

writes that “…writing well has become a gatekeeping skill across the workforce” (3). He cites the fact 

that 7 out of 10 graduates do not have the writing skills needed for entry to most careers. To address 

this deficiency, he strives to foster two tenets in his writing classroom: to expose his students to as 

much real-world writing as possible and to provide multiple opportunities for authentic writing.

 

One of the great things about Gallagher’s approach to writing instruction is that it is practical, relevant 

and doable by any teacher, which is particularly exciting news for those of us who are not English 

specialists.

In a nutshell, Gallagher’s teaching “formula” is:

1.  Teach students real-world writing purposes

2.  Teacher models his/her struggles with the writing process by writing in real time in front of students

3.  Include many real-world mentor texts for students to emulate

4. Give students the time necessary to write and grow as writers

Write Like This Video

He also shares my mantra that all teachers need to show the struggles of writing to students through 

daily use of modeling. Throughout my experiences, I have been amazed at the number of teachers who 

are hesitant to write in front of students. Gallagher speaks to the need for the expert writer in the room to 

model the struggles involved.

I think the importance, versatility, and pervasiveness of writing exacts a toll on those who do not learn to 

write well, as this can limit academic, occupational, and personal attainments. From my experience, 

while children typically begin learning how to write at home, a basic aim of schooling is to teach 

students to become competent writers. Do schools successfully meet this obligation? From what I’ve 

gathered, available evidence indicates that this objective is met for some students but not all.

This week’s readings inspired me to reflect on my writing instruction, and I will definitely be thinking 

about real-world writing applications in my classroom in the future.