About the Founder of Write Well
- Teaching for High School and Homeschool
While writing has remained a life-long passion of mine, I have developed
practical methods for teaching writing over the years.
Before kid #3 (of five) arrived, I oversaw the Western Civ curriculum at Middlesex
School (in Concord, MA) for about eight years. My approach was
interdisciplinary in content and diverse in skills development. Reading
thoughtfully, thinking logically, and writing clearly were the goals;
mastering the five-paragraph essay formula was central to this work. In
addition to my years of teaching high school, I have taught a variety of
homeschool classes over the 10 plus years I have homeschooled on various
topics in history, literature, writing, and science.
- How Write Well Has Evolved
For the past five years I have worked with the Excellence in Writing
curriculum in conjunction with a family-centered, homeschool writing club. I have been amazed at how successful this program can be for
teaching children of all ages and writing (or non-writing) temperments. I began offering classes at the Voyagers Homeschool Coop, which led to offering these classes through the Voyager Resource Center. With the help of the simple-to-implement, amazingly sophisticated Lifewerks software, I have branched off into the world of on-line classes. See
http://www.lifewerks.com for details.
- Methodology for the Write Well Approach to Writing
While I borrow some parts of this curriculum from the Institute for Excellence in Writing Curriculum (see
http://www.iew.com), I have also developed my
own approach, which combines my years of high school teaching experience
with my more holistic homeschooling ventures. By teaching key word
outlining, one learns how to structure one's thoughts; the outline also
provides the writer with ready prompts to prevent writer's block. By
introducing--with the help of EIW checklists--specific "dress ups,"
"sentence openers," and more advanced "decorations," the students develop
an impressive toolbox of techniques to increase the clarity and
sophistication of their writing.
The focus in this course is unleashing
the student's confidence in writing while giving them practical tools to
ease the process. I do not emphasize the details of grammar and spelling,
but I will comment, in a supportive and low-key manner, on these details
when looking at their individual papers and when "teachable moments"
evolve in our classroom work.
I encourage the students to set the goals for this class, in consultation with their banker/parent, rather than to just follow the assignments lock-step. Developing confidence as a writer can be a fragile and laborious process. Sometimes assignments with forced deadlines drive one toward high achievement, and sometimes it leads to anxiety and brain freeze. No one can write under excessive stress. I try to empower students by remaining flexible and sympathetic, while maintaining high standards and
encouraging lofty goals.
Some students also need more help than others. Do not hesitate to model or help your student, as he/she needs such help. Moving toward independence evolves gradually.
I always encourage my students to get help from parents, especially at the
brainstorming process, while they are developing their key word outlines.
Thinking it all out is usually the hardest part. Once they have a key word
outline, the writing is quite simple. If students are not adept at
notetaking or need other help, a parent is welcome to attend to lend
support. Students will do the bulk of their outlining and writing at home
while our class time will be spent modeling the task at hand. Each week,younger
students will hand in a paragraph-length paper, longer selections for
more advanced students, on which I will comment extensively
and return at the next session. By focusing on engaging writing topics as a
class, students learn the techniques in an enjoyable, relaxing manner. For younger students, I
frequently incorporate hands-on activities to add variety to the learning
experience. I have a deep sensitivity and respect for the diverse
individuals in my class. I encourage parents to give me as much background
information as can be helpful in ensuring that I am mindful in how I
approach, engage, and encourage each child.
