Teaching writing should begin with a vision and a plan for achieving writing success. Teaching writing should begin with the end in mind. This allows the teacher to be clear on writing goals and writing expectation. When writing goals and expectations are clear for the teacher, students do not perceive their writing assignments as busy work. Below you will find a few resources that will help you learn how to begin with the end in mind with your writing instruction.
Four Resources for Teaching Writing and Beginning with the End in Mind
The first resource is Stephen R. Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit #2 in this excellent book is “start with the end in mind.” Remember: Highly effective people make for highly effective teachers!
The second resource is Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. This book is an exciting new addition to understanding curriculum development though backwards design (also known as backwards planning). Once again, begin with the end in mind!
The third resource for mapping out what you wish to accomplish in your writing instruction is your state standards for English Language Arts. The state standards may seem a bit dry, but they do explain where your students have been and where you need to take them.
The fourth resource is a fantastic collection of elementary and middle school student writing samples all scored with an objective rubric.
Wishing You Total Writing Success!
Do you teach elementary school writing or teach struggling middle school writers? If you do, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage. The entire program begins with the end in mind! It’s the fastest, most effective way to teach children multi-paragraph writing… Guaranteed!
If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.
– Lewis Carroll –
If you don’t know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.
– Henry A. Kissinger –
vs.
You cannot be lost on a road that is straight.
– Proverb –
