Slide 3

Philosophies of teaching refer to the set of beliefs and principles that guide the actions of teachers in the
classroom. The selection of topics for writing assignments reflects a particular philosophy about teaching
writing from which any given teacher operates.

The life cycle of a writing class revolves around the writing assignment students will be asked to prepare.

All assignments reflect a particular philosophy about teaching writing from which any given teacher
operates, even if a teacher might not be consciously able to articulate his/her philosophy.

Different beliefs about writing and learning to write tend to work in tandem with particular choices a
teacher might make in structuring classroom activities or assignments.

The “process approach” is favored by those who believe that “writing consists of composition processes
in the writer’s mind,” while at the same time believing that “learning to write includes learning both the
mental processes and the practical processes involved in composing a text.” This is in marked contrast to
the “genre approach” favored by teachers who believe that “writing is a set of text-types, shaped by
social context” and “learning to write involves learning the characteristics of different types of writing
which serve specific purposes in specific contexts.”

Different philosophies of teaching writing lead to different types of assignments.

Key components for teachers to think of in crafting assignments include attention to “purpose, structure,
audience, and sources of information.”

Successful writing assignments should be presented with its context clearly delineated, the content of
the topic area should be accessible to and appropriate for the writers while being broad enough to allow
for multiple approaches, the language of the “task” part of the assignment and the instructions it is
embedded in should be unambiguous, comprehensible and transparent, the task should be focused
enough to allow for completion in the time or length constraints designated, the rhetorical specifications
(cues) should provide a clear direction of likely shape and format of the finished assignment, including
appropriate references to an anticipated audience, and the evaluation criteria should be identified so
that students will know in advance on what basis their output (i.e., written product) will be judged.

1. A writing assignment should be presented with its context clearly delineated such that the student
understands the reasons for the assignment.

2. The content of the topic area should be accessible to and appropriate for the writers while being
broad enough to allow for multiple approaches.

3. The language of the “task” part of the assignment and the instructions it is embedded in should be
unambiguous, comprehensible and transparent.

4. The task should be focused enough to allow for completion in the time or length constraints
designated. Additionally, it should further students’ knowledge of classroom skills.

5. The rhetorical specifications (cues) should provide a clear direction of likely shape and format of the
finished assignment, including appropriate references to an anticipated audience.
6. The evaluation criteria should be identified so that students will know in advance on what basis their
output (i.e., written product) will be judged

Life cycle of a writing class – phases

As writers, we need to have a structured approach towards any writing assignment to ensure a
successful completion of the task at hand. This excerpt outlines six steps from the setting of an
assignment to the point where the student submits a complete text for evaluation.

Step 1: Setting the Assignment

The first step in the life cycle of a writing class is setting the writing assignment. The teacher must have a
general plan for the targeted writing assignment in order to structure or allow for the creation of
activities that will help students prepare to undertake the writing. This would include the choice of
specific reading materials selected to advance the goal(s) of the assignment. In most cases, students
should be provided with a fully detailed assignment sheet at the outset, although occasionally, it might
prove advisable for the teacher to withhold such details until certain preparatory activities have taken
place.

Step 2: Engaging in Purpose-Driven Activities

Step 2 codifies that a number of purpose-driven activities should precede the students’ drafting of a text.
Some of these activities include asking students to engage in small group or whole class discussions
designed to expand their vocabulary or linguistic skills, sharpen their insights on the topic, or generate
material for use in their individual writing. Students can interview classmates, family members, or people
in the community to gather information, develop perspectives, or draw conclusions. For more complex
topics, they can conduct text or web-based research. Often, they are asked to reflect in writing, and
perhaps but not always are they commonly asked to engage in some kind of reading prior to writing,
especially for source-based writing assignments.

Step 3: Preparing a Draft

Following engagement in preparatory activities, Step 3 in the life cycle calls for students to prepare a
working draft of their response to the assignment at hand. It is important that both teachers and
students see these texts as drafts, subject to revision, and not as final products. Many students resist the
idea that they need to invest additional work on a text once it has been “fully” written. However,
teachers can train students to identify feedback options that will allow them to re-vision their work when
necessary; they should insist on Step 4, a feedback loop.

Step 4: A Feedback Loop

Feedback in any of its many forms should be considered a critical part of the “life cycle” of the writing
class. The goal is for students to be able to utilize such feedback to shape their evolving texts in ways that
will yield an improved product in advance of the evaluative judgment on the relative strengths and
weaknesses of the text, a judgment that usually involves the recording of some sort of grade in nearly all
teaching situations.

Feedback can be direct, and it can be initially elicited in the form of a self-administered set of queries to
help a writer review the extent to which a given text fulfills the goals of the specific writing assignment.
Direct feedback can also be provided by the teacher or other students either orally or in writing or in
some combination. There is a large body of research focused on the various ways in which peers can be
trained to work together to discuss each other's writing productively. However, even when such peer
interaction is superficially intended to provide direct feedback, it can be difficult to ensure that it will be
effective.

Step 5: Revising the Draft

Step 5 calls for students to revise their work in light of feedback received from both teachers and peers.
Revision is the heart of the writing process and should be encouraged at every step of the life cycle.
Students should be taught to approach revision as an opportunity to strengthen their work by taking
feedback into account and using it to make changes that will improve their text. Revision should be seen
as an ongoing process, and students should be encouraged to revise multiple times before submitting a
final draft.

Finally, Step 6 involves submitting the final draft for evaluation. At this point, students have gone through
the entire writing process, from assessing the rhetorical situation and identifying the primary purpose of
writing to revising their work based on feedback received from teachers and peers. The final draft
represents their best effort at producing a well-written and well-structured text that meets the goals of
the assignment. Teachers should evaluate the final draft based on established criteria and provide
constructive feedback to students that will help them continue to improve their writing skills.

In conclusion, the life cycle of the writing class provides a structured approach to teaching writing that
emphasizes the importance of engaging in purpose-driven activities, feedback, and revision. By following
the six steps outlined in the life cycle, students can develop the skills necessary to produce well-written
texts that meet the goals of the assignment. Teachers play a critical role in guiding students through this
process by providing clear instructions, constructive feedback, and opportunities for revision. By doing
so, they can help students become more effective writers and better prepared for future writing tasks.