Create a Writing Wish List

With the new school year beginning, you no doubt are creating wish lists for your classroom. Consider including some of the following writing goals: I want my students to . . . Feel good about writing because it gives them an opportunity to explore and shape their own thinking. Write about topics that truly interest them. Establish a regular writing routine to develop their writing fluency. Know that improvement is a certainty if they make a sincere effort. Understand the value of pushing their thinking to the brink of confusion, if need be, to form their best ideas. Participate in a writing workshop, learning together with their classmates and me. Interact comfortably with one another about their writing. Feel that their presence matters, that they have something worthwhile to add to the class. Appreciate that quality writing takes time and patience. Feel excited about the creative opportunities that writing offers them. Know that writing can help them make sense of the uncertainties associated with adolescence. Appreciate writing as an effective learning tool. Develop strong, evidence-based ideas. Discuss writing using terms such as focus, clarity, elaboration, voice, and sensory details. Experiment with different forms of writing—exposition, argument, and narration. Produce at least one extended piece of writing that requires authentic research. Never be without a good book. Discover a new favorite writer and know why they find his or her books so appealing. Acquire a writer’s ear for good writing and a writer’s eye for potential writing ideas. Appreciate the many publishing opportunities available to them and try at least two or three of them. Compile a portfolio that showcases their abilities as a writer. Realize, by the end of the year, that writing can enrich their lives.