Non-Narrative Mentor Text

In Leaving Out to Pull In: Using Reader Response to Teach Multicultural Literature, Rose C. Reissman discusses her "Leaving Out" activity conducted in three separate middle school and high school classrooms aimed at encouraging students to apply their own experiences to those of characters in multicultural literature. As an introduction to a given text to be studied in class, Reissman suggests reading a selected passage aloud to the students while omitting particular information that would indicate the cultural background of characters, including their name or where they live, or the author. By replacing these indicators with the word "blank," Reissman reports that students were encouraged to more closely relate in some way to the character in the passage by attaching their own experiences to those being described. Although Reissman indicates that students were mostly not 'right' in their assumptions about the character or author's cultural background, it is nonetheless important that they found some way to relate to the text.

I believe that this text could be useful in a mentorship setting because it presents a manner by which students can be led to feel connected to a text or literary character by recognizing their similarities rather than their differences, such as race or cultural background. Reissman's method of generating personal responses from students based on their own experiences, whether it be feelings of isolation or recalling memories of their own families, is an effective way of generating discussion and establishing an understanding of potential themes of a given text before reading or beginning the teaching unit. Students, then, are able to better connect and respond to characters and themes from the text as well. In a classroom setting, the "Leaving Out" activity encourages students to be more empathetic or respectful of their classmates' experiences. This activity can also be effectively used in a classroom or one-on-one setting with pieces of music or film that are related to the text in that the student(s) can gain a better understanding of the time period of the writing.

Reissman's journal article also offers the opportunity to explore the conventions of the genre. Specifically, I believe this text could be used as an example of how to properly format an article/essay/response (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion) or develop an argument and/or inform the reader by breaking down the structure of the article, i.e. introduction of the "Leaving Out" activity and demonstrating its effectiveness through classroom evidence, then wrapping up the information at the end. Likewise, the article can be used to demonstrate how to use quotes and cite sources, as well as properly punctuate sentences.

Reissman, Rose C (1994). Leaving Out to Pull In: Using Reader Response to Teach Multicultural Literature. The English Journal, 83, 20-23.

A Response to Atwell & Peterson

As a prospective English teacher, I found Atwell's story quite refreshing. Her story first struck me because of how closely the evolution of her teaching narrative itself mimicked the writing process, in that she began with a particular way of teaching that she found most effective, her first draft. Through critical reflection, or editing, she refined her craft and found a more effective way to educate her students by employing a writing workshop style in her classroom. I found her story motivating; that kind of writing-central style of teaching is something I would like to adopt in my own classes rather than only adopting the typical writing forms, like essays, for example. Involving students in short writing activities would encourage them to become better writers because it is something that could be done frequently while also involving more creativity and personal input.

However, as Peterson points out, I think it is also important to not give students absolute control or freedom over the subject matter of their writing as that many options and so little guidance could prove rather overwhelming to students, especially for those who do not think they are particularly strong writers to begin with. By giving students options to choose from, they are still being offered a choice rather than limiting their focus to one strict topic in particular. In doing so, students can write about things they relate strongly to at first. As they become more comfortable with their craft, they can broaden their horizons and delve into subjects they otherwise would not have previously. This can be accomplished in numerous ways. Journaling in response to teacher prompts using prose, poetry, drawing or any other creative form would be a strong starting point. Accommodating for students, like Atwell did for her student Jeff, is important because students are given the choice of how they feel most comfortable responding to given material. As they grow more comfortable in their expression, journaling allows the teacher to transition into other short writing tasks and, eventually, into developing arguments or responses.

I believe that this type of structure is ideal in encouraging students to explore their own creativity through writing, developing confidence and strong writing skills, and, eventually, in producing strong final products. To further encourage this growth, I think it is important that students are given incentive to keep producing quality work. This can be accomplished by displaying chosen writing in the classroom, on a class blog, or in the school paper.

Personal Narrative - Free Write

Writing plays an important role in the English classroom, but it seems as though many students are intimidated and fearful of being tasked with writing assignments because they do not believe they are capable of producing valuable work. For students, it seems as though there is nothing more terrifying than a blank page staring back at them. During the Free Write activity, many words and phrases came to mind when I thought about writing: creativity, imagination, a tool to convey meaning and understanding. However, the word that stood out most to me was expression. For as much as the final product carries importance, I believe it to be equally important for the given writing task to enable students to embrace the process of finding their own expressive voice. I think that a lot of students in particular find writing intimidating because they over think it. In Finding Forrester, one of my favorite movies about a reclusive writer who helps mentor a promising young writer, William Forrester suggests to Jamal Wallace that "You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is to write, not to think." The initial steps of writing should be focused on getting thoughts on the page, whether these are formed by brainstorming or in a rough first draft, because getting started is the most important step. Once these ideas take shape and connections are made, the student is better suited to be critical of what is on the page and how to best proceed with their assignment.

Particularly in a school setting where many students are hesitant to speak up in class, writing tasks, such as journaling, are effect tools students can use to convey their understanding of material without the fear of being criticized by their peers. All types of writing, whether they are creative or conventional, encourage expression through the creative process. It is important for students to understand that writing is, in fact, a process, and that a masterpiece will not just appear on the page. However, that should not detract students from appreciating the fact that writing offers them an opportunity for self-expression. I believe that, the sooner students come to realize that writing is a tool for expression, the easier the writing process is and, ultimately, the more fulfilling the final product will become.