Yekaterina McKenney offers a plea to writing teachers: Don't emphasize the conventions of writing, the regurgitation of facts, and correct spelling and grammar over the generation of ideas and the creativity of storytelling. She offers up fresh ideas and suggestions about how to make writing meaningful and personal for student writers--from…

Teacher Geneviève DeBose Akinnagbe discusses her school's--and her own--improvement in the area of writing instruction. While she is a strong believer in teacher-led change, she says the change in this case was mainly the result of the school's becoming more intentional, at an organizational level, about the teaching of writing. The progress truly…

Urban writing programs help frustrated city youth to gain interest and find power through writing. Education leaders and urban writing programs along with classroom teachers will have to work collaboratively in order to motivate and empower students through the written words.

The writing teacher's foremost job is leading students to see the valuable ideas they have to express. Writing is a way to share those ideas with the world rather than a way to be wrong, Anderson asserts. Teachers and parents too often focus on errors in student writing. This focus gives students the impression that writing well is about avoiding…

Writing instruction can be improved by encouraging teachers to question assumptions, test strategies, and put learning into practice. Professional development should be designed in such a way that it should provide time and structure for teachers to pursue questions that interest them in order to create continual improvement in teaching of writing.

Latest digital technologies play an important role in teaching writing and preparing students to write in the 21st century. The different technologies used to teach writing such as using visual imagery and envisionment are described.

Once students are asked to assess their own writing progress, they will begin to do their best for writing great prose instead of just great grades. Teachers will have to create a grade-free zone, allow students to set their own writing goals, provide a common language such as the Six Traits Model, and provide evaluation and instructional models…

Effective writing teachers act as models, coaches, assessors, planners and consultants when they establish common objectives and activities, build social bonds, and support students as they grow in their abilities. Managing five roles is very challenging for the writing teachers, but with patience and perseverance, they can help students to become…

New writing components in standardized tests can have negative impact on classroom writing skills. Some of the steps that an educator should take in order to improve writing instruction when a standardized test fails to address the needs of the students and schools are described.