Reflections on Effective Writing Instruction The Value of Expectations, Engagement, Feedback, Data, and Sociocultural Instructional Practices

Authors

Kara Mitchell Viesca, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Kim Hutchison, Aurora Public Schools

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

Published in Writing & Pedagogy Vol. 6.3 (2014)

Comments

©2014, EQUINOX PUBLISHING

Abstract

This reflection on effective writing practice is the result of a university–school partnership focused on collaboratively investigating the work of a successful 5th grade-writing teacher. The co-authors collectively present the work of Mrs. Hutchison, a veteran teacher who worked in a predominately low-income school with a high percentage of students labeled English language learners. Mrs. Hutchison’s class was a space where each student was both a learner and a teacher and most students developed a great interest and love of writing. This reflective piece presents data documenting Mrs. Hutchison’s success as well as a collaborative reflection on her work intended to provide a glimpse into Mrs. Hutchison’s commitments and practices, and how these resulted in students’ learning and productive writing activity and achievement. In so doing, we hope to provide some models of effective practices that others may wish to adapt or investigate further.