Chapter 11: Developing Content Area Writers

I cannot express the importance of preparation and variety when giving writing assignments. I liked how Conley gives a variety of organization techniques throughout the chapter. I kept thinking of how useful many of those would have been when I was in high school.

The teacher would give the class a writing assignment, and she would expect us to immediately jump into writing the rough draft. The teacher never taught us how to organize our thoughts and prepare to write. The teacher never set aside time for quickwrites or brainstorming, which have proven throughout my college career to be helpful and necessary.

Another thought that came to mind when reading the chapter was how my teacher always "stuck with" that same writing formula and never allowed us as students to deviate from it. I can remember thinking to myself, "There has to be another way; one that does not put this much pressure on us." I know that I felt hindered with no writing style options, and I know now that it hurt me when I began writing in college because different content areas may require different styles and formats.

It is important as a classroom teacher to expose students to variety and teach them how to organize their writing as well. That is the one promise that I have made to myself as a teacher because I feel like that is what should have been done for me.