What's on your reading list?

I think every teacher looks forward to those two magic words: summer break.  I also think that every teacher (well, every dedicated teacher anyway) does much more work over summer break than he or she intends.  Call me crazy, but the thought of planning for a new school year with no other commitments (grading papers, sponsoring club meetings, calling parents, etc.) hanging over our heads is almost exciting.  This summer I plan to focus on two things:  incorporating more technology in the classroom and becoming a better teacher of writing.  I feel the coursework of this class has given me tons of great ideas for the former.  As for the latter, I plan on reading some professional books that will hopefully guide me toward strategies that will help me help my students hone their writing skills.

To that end, there are a few books I hope to read:

• Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts by Kelly Gallagher
• Writing Reminders by Jim Burke
• Teaching Argument Writing, Grades 6-12: Supporting Claims With Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning by George Hillocks, Jr.

Teaching Writing

I must say that one of the biggest challenges I face as an English teacher is teaching writing.  Ninth grade students come to me in August with a vast range of abilities in all aspects, but writing is one of the most prominent areas of discrepancy.  Some students write like a college student (or beyond), while others can barely string together a coherent sentence.  Writing comes naturally to some students; to others, it is a chore, and because of that, they don't practice enough to get better.

In Jim Burke's English Teacher's Companion, he devotes an entire section to teaching writing.  Reading this chapter has helped me immensely, and I have gotten a great deal of inspiration on how to incorporate an effective writing curriculum in my classroom.  In his book, he explains what a good writing program should include, which involves giving students ample time and opportunity to practice writing and also expose them to other students' writing to help guide them.  He suggests teaching students how to write a meaningful and well-developed paragraph, which will make stringing multiple paragraphs together a bit more manageable.

A couple of innovative ideas Burke suggest include a group essay and having students write in response to various texts of their choice, both literary and visual.  Both of these ideas provide students with a fresh perspective about writing, making them more willing to both participate and become engaged in the activity.

Teaching writing, a once daunting challenge for me, is now something I have begun to look at with a fresh perspective.  The more excited and enthusiastic students are about writing, the more interesting and enjoyable their writing will be for me to read!