Tangential Writing and Assessment

Upon completing the readings for this week, I have gleaned two important ideas for my future teaching. The first is to be relaxed enough in my writing assignments and prompts to allow for the expression of student ideas and concerns. In other words, I need to be flexible in the sense that some of the best student writing may develop out of tangents or topics that are seemingly off topic. The second is that assessment needs to be pointed and purposeful with clear goals and expectations. As Spandel says, "Good assessment does not come about by accident. It is the result of clear vision and thoughtful planning" (97). Indeed, by implementing forms of backward design and other such lesson planning activities our writing assignments follow naturally and linearly from our methods of assessment. So, out of these two points the question then arises, how do we ensure that our students' writing meets certain standards and requirements set forth by the curriculum and state while at the same time allowing them the freedom to express themselves through their own unique voice and writing style?

To answer this question I lean heavily on Spandel's third right. In this right, Spandel makes it exceptionally clear that we must not be overly rigid in our prompts or assignments. As she says, "If we truly believe that writing is thinking then we must let our writers go where their thinking leads them - and as far as it will take them" (36). In essence, Spandel is saying that to get the most out of our young writers we must use prompts and other starting points for writing as simply starting points. We must encourage our writers to go beyond the initial ideas for writing that we present to them and force them to push themselves into new directions. I really agree with this practice. If we do not coax our students to branch out on their own in their writing topics and direction how will they ever write anything truly interesting. We will simply get formulaic dull writing by sticking to the prompts.

In order to assess these tangential endeavors that our students set out upon we must, as noted earlier, have a firm plan in line for assessment. We must not grade tangetially in order to match the somewhat tangetial ideas developed by students. Instead, we should lay out clear and concise expectations for how their writing should function. For example, instead of grading based on a formula we should take into account the strengths and weaknesses of a piece, in what way may the writer improve the most, and did a piece accomplish its overall goal. In this sense, we may allow our writers to improve and polish their craft without making their craft our own. We lend constructive criticism, make sure requirements are met, and encourage writing to tangentially move beyond those requirements. By doing this, we are allowing students to maintain their own voice and unique style of writing while at the same time helping them to find the best possible way to express their ideas. In closing then, through assessment and flexibility we are able to nuture the tangential tendencies that must be developed in all writers to truly be successful. Our teaching should reflect this philosophy, and if it does we should be allright.

Here is a link to the Writer's Digest website on which you will find helpful and unique writing prompts that can be used to stimulate a variety of students.
http://www.writersdigest.com/writingprompts.asp?goto=closead