Stage+Two+Observations

Step One: Once you have passages on paper or on the board, lead the students in an exercise where they are asked to make observations — statements of fact — in answer to the question "What has this writer done?" This exercise leads very naturally to discussion of various writerly choices. No need to linger or belabor: just give students the opportunity to articulate what they see and hear.

Step Two: After the observations exercise has been completed, ask the students to switch hats. Now they are to indicate via checkmarks or a show of hands which two passages they find most interesting or most impressive. Then, starting with the ones which receive the most votes, ask for volunteers to come up with criteria: "What I liked about this piece was (Fill in the blank.)" Make a master list of these statements at the board.

Student-generated lists of criteria tend, unsurprisingly, to focus in on precisely the same criteria that we would normally present to them: clarity, specificity, logic, coherence, and so on. (See handout from workshop.) They don't necessarily use those words, but that's what they wind up talking about. And once they are able to come up with quality indicators they themselves recognize, it's a short hop to having them trying writing something that manifests those qualities. Something like this, for example:


 * Followup assignment:** //Write a passage of (select a certain number of) words in which you make a conscious effort to meet two of these criteria. Hand in the passage and a process reflection which explains what you were up to.//

Here's a link to a blog post which illustrates the format. And another, this time about art rather than writing.

NB: We didn't talk much about process reflections in the workshop, but I think they are a critical part of the learning process. I often ask students to write short reflections in which they unpack for me a) what they did b) the steps they followed c) what worked and what didn't and/or d) what they would do differently the next time. Again, this is by way of directing students to be attentive to the choices they are making and to see those choices as existing in the context of other possible choices. The goal is for students to learn to be //strategic// about their writing. Of course, it's also another opportunity to practice writing as well. : )