This post is written by member Peg Grafwallner.
As NCTE鈥檚 National Day on Writing approached, I wasn鈥檛 quite sure how I wanted to celebrate it. I knew I wanted to mark the occasion, but how?
I could send out a survey and ask teachers to share the #WhyIWrite statement with students, garner their responses, and then analyze them, or . . .
I could ask teachers to respond to the #WhyIWrite statement at our next PLC and gather their responses to share at the next meeting, or . . .
I could ask my principal to make a morning announcement requesting students and teachers respond to the prompt, gather their answers, and write up a summary.
Then I realized I was missing the point. This was not meant to be an anonymous survey, a professional development directive, or a principal鈥檚 mandate. It was meant to be a celebration of writing; whatever writing means to you. It was meant to embrace how our writing shapes who we are, our work, and ultimately, our lives.
I decided to share the celebration with students and teachers in a very unscientific way: I randomly walked up to individuals in the hallway, in their classrooms, in the library, and jotted down their responses to the question 鈥淲hy do you write?鈥� However, prior to asking the question, I encouraged them not to 鈥渢hink about it, but tell me the first thing that pops into your mind.鈥� I didn鈥檛 want to define the word writing, but rather, let the respondent decide what writing means to him/her.
In no particular order, here are the responses:
Teachers/Staff/Administrator
- 鈥淔or the challenge.鈥濃�擲teve M. (librarian)
- 鈥淭o communicate.鈥濃�擝rent S. (computer science teacher)
- 鈥淏ecause I have to.鈥濃�擜pril N. (special education teacher)
- 鈥淭o express what I can鈥檛 verbally to other people.鈥濃�擮scar S. (English teacher)
- 鈥淏ecause I have to.鈥濃�擳eri K. (French teacher)
- 鈥淏ecause it releases stress.鈥濃�擠eRonda M. (school safety teacher)
- 鈥淔or fun.鈥濃�擬ike M. (math teacher and department chairperson)
- 鈥淲riting gives me time to think.鈥濃�擬ike R. (principal)
- 鈥淚 want to clearly communicate my thoughts.鈥濃�擜dam M. (music teacher)
- 鈥淭o communicate and express emotions.鈥濃�擥ary DP. (physical education teacher)
Students
- 鈥淭o express something.鈥濃�擠aniel M. (senior)
- 鈥淚 need to.鈥濃�擟eleste D. (junior)
- 鈥溾�機ause they tell me to.鈥濃�擫aylah O. (sophomore)
- 鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 necessary.鈥濃�擮binna A. (sophomore)
- 鈥淭o express feelings.鈥濃�擜mareyna K. (ninth grader)
- 鈥淏ecause I write to get out emotional feelings through fictional characters.鈥濃�擵alerie B. (junior)
- 鈥淚 like to get out my emotions and think.鈥濃�擝rianna M. (ninth grader)
- 鈥淚 enjoy creating characters that can do what I can鈥檛 do.鈥濃�擬atthew V. (sophomore)
- 鈥淏ecause I can express what I鈥檓 thinking.鈥濃�擳halicia M. (ninth grader)
- 鈥淭o express myself.鈥濃�擩immy S. (senior)
These responses made me realize that while some people thought of writing as a chore (April N. commented, 鈥淚鈥檓 not a good writer. I鈥檝e always hated writing book reports and essays鈥�), others felt the 鈥渘eed鈥� to write to share expression; almost as if it were beyond their control.
NCTE鈥檚 National Day on Writing was a success. I didn鈥檛 need a survey or a PLC or a morning announcement to appreciate that all of us have distinct feelings about writing and sharing ourselves with each other. But what makes the National Day on Writing so important is that it brings to light our mutual desire to be heard, to be validated, and ultimately, to be embraced.
Peg Grafwallner聽is an instructional coach and reading specialist at a large urban high school. Peg draws on her nearly 24 years of experience and expertise to focus on engagement, motivation, and interventions to create聽student opportunities of learning and inquiry. Contact Peg at聽聽or on Twitter at @peggrafwallner.