The Write Model

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An Introduction: Why Should We Model Writing?

When I have to introduce myself and share an interesting fact, I tell people I’m a photographer. It’s a title I’m proud of, something I’ve worked hard to achieve, a skill I don’t take lightly. Photography is hard work. When I first started, I thought the magic was in the camera. But my photos sucked. Then I thought I needed a better lens. I tried reading the manual. I tried fiddling with knobs and buttons, trying new numbers and white balances and shutter speeds and never really knowing what was going on. Occasionally something miraculous would occur, and I would take a beautiful photo. I never could quite reproduce it, though. I tried really hard for what seemed like quite a long time, but I still struggled terribly to take consistently good photos. Finally, I had the opportunity to work with professionals who had a degree in photography and made their living taking pictures. When someone was there to walk me through the process of taking a photo, something clicked in my brain. The explanation combined with physically being able to have my hands on something and practice helped me learn. I watched what they did, how they responded to different situations like a change in light, a harsh contrast, a nervous subject, and I tried to emulate what they did. The more I observed and watched others model what to do, the more I learned. Even now, after having been a photographer for several years now, I am still learning. I still have to watch someone more experienced than me go through a process so I can imitate it.

I’m not sure when it was decided that writing is not something that can or should be taught by example or through modeling. We teach ballet through demonstrating precise stances and moves and then watch students reproduce the motions. In science class, students learn how to swab a petri dish after a teacher displays the correct procedure. For some reason, when it comes to writing, we list a 5 step linear process and expect students to be able to write something good. We teach them correct grammar to use in academic writing, what a paragraph consists of, how to write sentences with variety, but rarely are connections made between any of them. Teachers assign research papers, explain in great detail what a scholarly source is and not to, under any circumstances, PLAGIARIZE (dun dun dunnn), are told what a thesis statement is and what it should do, but not how to develop one of their own. For the most part, teachers have thrust lists and charts and a few clever illustrations in the faces of students, filled their binders with definitions and vocabulary, but never went through the process of writing with students.

Just as I struggled to learn how to create good photos, students struggle to create good writing. As teachers, we can pile on reading assignments, explain over and over what a thesis statement is and where it should go in the paragraph, but it won’t do much good for the majority of students. There must be a connecting thread between what a thesis statement is and actually creating one. We can’t simply list the process in 5 concise steps because the process itself is not concise. Students need to see the processes of writing take place, how to problem solve when they encounter their writing struggles, and how to approach the many complex situations writers find themselves in. Tools do little good unless the user knows what to do with them.

Teachers have the opportunity to show students real life writing as it happens through modeling. Students can watch you, the teacher, make a way though the writing process, see you struggle to take a prompt and develop a thesis, revise an ineffective paragraph and make it something wow-worthy. Students can watch you be a writer just like them, watch you be human, see you struggle, see you scribble your pencil on the paper in frustration, and then come up with a solution. They will see you do it and know that they can do it too.

Throughout this blog, I’ll propose why I believe so strongly in the necessity of teaching writing through modeling. I’ll argue that, like almost any other behavior or skill, writing needs to be taught through models and by example. In modeling the writing process to students, we as teachers model the thought process that must take place in order to create effective writing (Holmes 4). We must be real models of the writing process, effectively use modeling as an instructional strategy, address the issues that can keep us from modeling writing, and equip our students with transferrable skills and help them to be lifelong learners. More than anything, our goal is to encourage our students and let them know they are capable and can be successful, effective writers. 

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What is Modeling? The Writing Runway and Other Metaphors

If you’re not exactly Heidi Klum, and you’re feeling a little uncertain about this whole modeling thing, I urge you to take a deep breath and chill. You’re not going to be doing that kind of modeling. In fact, you don’t have to worry about any kind of flawless presentation, strutting your writing stuff on that fancy Smart Board. No no. Your goal as a modeler of writing is to be as real as possible—something I’ll emphasize over and over again. There is no hiding behind a curtain of carefully planned and meticulously typed “examples,” color coded markers, and prefinished products. With some sense of decency and confidence, show your students how you write as a writer.

Kelly Gallagher writes,

“…my first period walks in, they see me in my tie, and they are often awed by how ‘smart’ I am. And why do they think I am so smart? Because all of the preparation I need for teaching […] is done ‘behind the curtain’[…] Because I do all of my preparation out of sight, I am able to successfully fool my ‘citizenry’ (my students) into believing that […] their teacher is amazing—a veritable Wizard of Ahhhs, if you will. If I really want my students to understand what it takes to become a good reader […], I should come out from behind the curtain and model all of the difficult steps I had to struggle with […]If we want our students to grow as writers, we have to come out from behind the writing curtain and model to our students what good writers do. We can’t hide, like the Great Oz, standing behind the curtain, barking our writing assignments. We can’t simply present our students with beautiful, polished drafts and ask them to replicate it. (224-5)”

That’s a substantial chunk of quote, but in it Gallagher encapsulates the essence of why and how we should model writing to our students. Kerry Holmes says modeling “demystifies the writing experience by exposing the teacher’s thoughts” (4). We, too, must demystify the process, take ourselves off the pedestal of our rolling chair or high stool, and let students know how we really write.

When I refer to modeling, I don’t mean we should offer pristine examples of our writing or others’ writing to our students—we can see pretty well that hasn’t helped students very much.  For some reason, teaching the process of writing has been neglected. At some point, it was mapped out as a linear process that, if followed, would produce an acceptable result. Despite the brightly colored, laminated posters labeled THE WRITING PROCESS hanging in almost every writing classroom I’ve ever been in, I’ve never been able to mold my process to fit this 5-step plan. I don’t believe my classmates or my students—all very unique and creative thinkers—can write in such a way either.

When we model writing, we must model the process and model it honestly. Only then will our students understand the effort and the struggle that must occur to produce effective writing. Holmes also mentions, “When teachers share their passion and struggles with their students, they create a haven conducive to developing a community of writers” (4). Although it might be nice to have our students thinking we are Oz! The Great and Powerful! or the writing teacher equivalent of Tyra Banks, it’s much better for them to learn, to see that we’re human, too, that we bang our head against the desk trying to write a paper and creating a thesis statement is possibly one of the most difficult tasks imaginable.

So if you’re not Tyra Banks or the Wizard of Oz, I promise it’s okay. In fact, it’s great. You must be as human as possible when you model writing—be honest and genuine. Show an authentic writing process and let your students understand the struggles and know it’s okay if they experience those struggles, too. Come out from behind the curtain, step off the writing runway, and start modeling! 

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Self- Efficacy: Letting Your Students Know They Can Do This

One word I’ll be using a lot throughout this blog is self- efficacy. Self- efficacy can be a tricky word: it kind of means self-confidence, but it’s more like self-confidence about performing a task or displaying some sort of behavior.  According to Bandura and Schunk,

“Self- efficacy is hypothesized to influence choice of activities, effort expenditure, persistence, and achievement. Compared with students who doubt their learning capabilities, those with high self-efficacy for acquiring a skill or performing a task participate more readily, work harder, persist longer when they encounter difficulties, and achieve at higher levels” (Bandura in Schunk and Zimmerman 1). 

 Simply put, our self-efficacy about a task determines whether or not we attempt to do it in the first place, how much effort we contribute to the task, and how long we spend on that task.  For example, if we have a high self- efficacy about making a poached egg, perhaps after watching a cooking show or looking up a video tutorial on YouTube, we might decide to make a poached egg on our own. We’d spend the time to gather the appropriate materials, wait as the egg cooks, and then eat it. If we’re successful, and even if we struggle some, we’ll most likely poach an egg again and feel pretty confident about it.  On the other hand, let’s say we read a brief instructional note on poaching an egg. It wasn’t very concise, it used terminology we were unfamiliar with, and there were no images of what the process or result should look like. We might feel hesitant about making a poached egg! In fact, we might not even attempt to make one at all because we don’t yet feel confident in our ability to successfully poach an egg on our own.  (And if you’ve ever tried to poach an egg without having watched someone else do it, you know it can be a very daunting and messy chore.) Self- efficacy is one of the initial and most important steps of learning a new skill or behavior. But, how is our self-efficacy about a task built up and strengthened? Seeing someone else similar to us performing the task lets us know, Hey, I can do that, too! In the poached egg example, you see it’s much more likely to feel able to do something after watching someone else do it and seeing the process for yourself.

Additionally, a positive learning environment will encourage students to participate in a new activity and will help them to feel more confident about participation. “…one’s social environment can affect personal variables and behaviors. Students who receive encouraging feedback from teachers may feel more personally efficacious and work harder to succeed. Teachers can inspire studentsto write by creating a favorable classroom environment, such as by giving students adequate time to write and revise’ (8). Part of modeling is creating a safe environment that is conducive to trial and error, problem solving, and multiple attempts. Teachers who model writing should create a positive atmosphere and assure students that mistakes are normal and that everyone is capable of success.

One of the most important factors in developing students’ literacy, especially in writing, is high self-efficacy. High self-efficacy is necessary for an individual to feel capable and motivated to learn new behaviors and complete unfamiliar tasks. Schunk and Zimmerman comment on Bandura’s social cognitive theory, stating that human functioning consists of a series of reciprocal interactions (such as thoughts and beliefs), environment, and behavior. One example they offer is a student’s self-efficacy beliefs about writing an essay can influence their writing choices and behaviors, like the topic selected, how much effort they apply, and persistence (7).  In order to motivate students to participate in writing tasks, as well as to boost their confidence about their ability to write, teachers should work to build their students’ self- efficacy. Leslie Valley, the Writing Coordinator at EKU’s Studio for Academic Creativity, mentions that there is a noticeable difference in students’ confidence about writing as they progress through a semester. Students who seem hesitant at first end up feeling more comfortable writing after receiving instruction, modeling, and time to practice. Valley, like Shunk and Zimmerman, also note that one of the best ways to increase students’ self- efficacy is to model certain behaviors and processes. This helps students feel more comfortable about the process and helps them to understand that they’re capable of going through the same process and producing a successful result.

Schunk and Zimmerman note that “compared with students who doubt their learning capabilities, those with high self-efficacy for acquiring a skill or performing a task participate more readily, work harder, persist longer when they encounter difficulties, and achieve at higher levels” (Schunk and Zimmerman 2). In Schunk and Zimmerman’s studies, as well as in the studies of others, there is a notable relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and performance. Students who feel confident in their ability to write are more likely to feel motivated to work on a writing assignment. Teachers can build and strengthen their students’ self- efficacy about writing through modeling writing strategies and as the students see these strategies modeled and have the opportunity to practice, they will acquire new writing skills. 

You can listen to a professor with a lovely British accent talk about self-efficacy here.

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Why Modeling Works I: Learning by Example

I mention quite a bit the importance of letting students see you struggle to write as you model. To some, that may seem counterproductive—don’t we want our students to see that we know what we’re doing, that we’re professionals?! Don’t they need to understand we’ve got it going on and don’t ever find writing difficult? Thinking like that seems to be wrapped up in the traditional mindset that teachers are these supreme beings, an elitist pitcher of water that must pour into the empty vessels we call students. Our focus should not be on how we appear, but how our students can grow as writers. Modeling writing works much the same way as modeling any other sort of activity or behavior. An emphasis is put on showing rather than on telling.

Kerry Holmes says, “Children think ‘that when adults write, the words flow, arrive ‘Shazam!’ on the pages’…As the teacher, you must let the students see and hear the struggle that all writers go through” (3). We learn by seeing someone else do the same thing we want/need to do and also how they cope with difficult situations.  We watch our parents cook and drive in real-life situations and we know that if they can do it, so can we. We see a casserole burn or end up stuck in bad traffic and watch our parents react. Everything turns out fine and when it’s time for us to be in similar situations, we feel confident handling them because we’ve seen it done before. So, we continue to watch and learn, and at some point feel capable of performing the same task on our own.

 In Write Like This, Gallagher says,

“When I taught my daughters to drive, I did not simply put them in the driver’s seat and say, ‘Let’s get started.’ I first had them watch me drive. When I taught a high school basketball player how to put backspin on his shot, I did more than describe what backspin looks like—I took the ball in my hands, had the young player stand beside me, and I demonstrated how to do it […] In these cases I did not simply tell learners how to become better; I showed them how to become better. I modeled. And then I modeled some more. I went first, and then they followed. (15)”

 We learn so many important skills from people who teach us through modeling and by their example—why should writing be any different? Too often teachers describe what good writing should look like and how to go about creating it, but rarely are students shown how to do it. It’s not enough to simulate the process or talk about it; students need to see it happening in a real life situation—you picking up your pen, reading a prompt, and trying to get somewhere with it.

  In this video, simulation obviously isn’t an effective way of teaching or learning. It wasn’t an actual real-world situation.  It would have been better to make Sheldon  actually try driving in a car (definitely in a safe place initially!) so he could  learn. Likewise, when we model and teach writing through example, we need to give students a “safe” place to practice. Build their self- efficacy about writing, let them see you struggle in an authentic situation, and then let them work their way through the process in a safe environment. 

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Why Modeling Works II: Multiple Learning Styles

The typical K-12 teacher is expected to be able to differentiate their instruction to suit the various learning styles of their students. Of course, it’s not always possible to teach multiple versions of the same lesson in order to tailor the instruction to each student’s specific needs. Instead, it’s more efficient and productive to create a lesson that has multiple parts that address a different learning style, or a lesson that somehow appeals to more than one learning style in some shape or form. Modeling is an effective teaching strategy because it appeals to multiple learning styles all at once. This is great for you, as the teacher, because you don’t have to spend more time creating new activities or using various strategies to meet the needs of all your students. Below, I’ve outlined the 8 multiple intelligences noted by Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory and how modeling writing appeals to some of them (Giles Pitre Womak).

Verbal/Linguistic : Writing in general is an ability students with verbal and linguistic intelligence will most likely gravitate toward. Additionally, narrating aloud what you’re doing as you model and allowing the students a chance to discuss will particularly appeal to these students and help them learn. Talk in detail about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it so verbal learners will benefit.

Visual/Spatial: Since a model is in itself a visual of how the writing process takes, students who like to see instruction happening will benefit from modeling.

Bodily/ Kinesthetic: Guided and independent practice is an essential part to the process of modeled writing. Therefore, students who learn best when they can physically be doing something will benefit from modeled writing strategies.  Letting students model writing themselves on a SmartBoard or projector screen could be beneficial, as well as letting students work on handout or draft their own writing in class.

Interpersonal: Students with interpersonal intelligence benefit greatly from interaction with their teachers and peers. Since modeling is a very open sort of strategy that allows for discussion and also peer collaboration, students who learn best in interpersonal situations will benefit from modeling. Consider peer review partners, groups, and one-on-one teacher/student writing consultations.

Intrapersonal: Intrapersonal students are skilled with knowing their self. Writing, regardless of topic, requires some intrapersonal ability. Activities like journaling and self- reflection benefit students with intrapersonal intelligence. Since goal setting and reflection are major aspects of increasing self- efficacy about a task, intrapersonally gifted students will benefit from aspects of modeled writing strategies.

The other multiple intelligences are Logical/Mathematical, Naturalistic, and Musical Intelligence. While modeled writing doesn’t necessarily directly appeal to these intelligences, it’s possible for you as the teacher to incorporate some element to pique the interest of students who possess these intelligences. Additionally, you could request feedback from the class—what could you do as you model writing that would really interest and help them? 

This video elaborates on multiple intelligences

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Why Modeling Works III: The Proof is in the Pudding

This modeling writing thing sounds all well and good, but if there’s no proof of its effectiveness, it’s really just another nice idea to be filed with all the other strategies that won’t work for your classroom. Much research has been done not only on the effect of high self-efficacy on being able to perform any given task, but also specifically on self-efficacy and writing.

Schunk and Zimmerman, two very big names in this world of using modeling to teach writing discuss their study on using modeling to build self-efficacy and see improvement in students’ reading and writing abilities. Their studies on elementary age students proved that providing students with a writing model and reachable goals helped students to feel more positive about their writing task and they were ultimately successful. Schunk and Zimmerman note found that “modeled strategy instruction combined with goal setting raised elementary children’s writing skills and self- efficacy and helped them maintain and transfer use of the strategy beyond the instructional context” (13-14). In her article, “ Show, Don’t Tell the Importance of Explicit Prewriting Instruction,” Holmes says, “When we feed students answers instead of strategies, we only provide for one completed written paper. When we teach students strategies, they are equipped to produce many papers” (4). One of the benefits of modeling is providing students with the tools they need to succeed not only in our class for one particular assignment, but to succeed in other classes and in their professions one day as adults. Modeling helps create lifelong learners.

Prat- Sala and Redford conducted a study with undergraduate students, first providing students with a self- efficacy questionnaire about writing, and then having them perform a writing task for 20-30 minutes. The researchers discovered a notable link between students with high self-efficacy about writing and their achievement and success with the writing task Prat-Sala and Redford 10-11).

Prior to modeling a particular strategy, teachers could create a self-efficacy questionnaire (typically referred to as a confidence questionnaire in most education courses) and evaluate how capable students feel about performing certain writing tasks. After modeling a strategy and giving students the opportunity to apply it themselves, administer another confidence questionnaire to see whether or not their self-efficacy about writing has increased or changed.

Here we see not only positive results of modeling being an effective teaching strategy for writing, but also a way to assess your own students and see how modeling works in your own classroom.

Some confidence questionnaire questions you might include (these could vary and change depending on the task at hand; these suggestions are general):

  Can you write an essay that contains no major spelling errors?

Can you develop a thesis that states your argument?

Can you adequately support your thesis statement?

Can you organize your ideas into paragraphs?

Can you effectively prewrite to develop a topic?

Can you edit your paper for surface errors, such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation?

Can you revise your essay for content rather than superficial errors?

Can you write an essay in which your ideas are clearly expressed?

Can you develop an original idea about a topic to write about?

Can you correctly cite your sources?

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Effective Instruction

“Modeling informs and motivates. Models provide information about what sequence of actions will lead to success and which actions have undesirable consequences.” –Dale H. Schunk

I could probably write a really long post (or an entire book, actually) on how to effectively model writing in instruction. But, that would be silly when the whole point of this is to show you how to model a behavior or skill as a teaching strategy. Instead, I’ll touch on some points about modeling effectively and then I will model modeling writing for you. Watch my video here. 

Create a positive, safe environment.

I’ve touched on this before, but I’ll emphasize again the importance of helping students feel comfortable about writing. Promote respect, be positive, be encouraging. Schunk says that “personal and environmental factors affect one another.” Students who have a higher self- efficacy will be more likely to work diligently and create a positive classroom environment, while students with a lower self- efficacy will try to avoid doing the task and therefore create a distracting environment (160).

 Have your students set goals.

Goal setting and achieving goals are important to building a student’s self-efficacy. As they reach their goals, they’ll feel more successful and capable of reaching other goals. According to Schunk, goal progress may “enhance efficacy and maintain motivation. Learners may decide to continue pursuing their goals, modify them, or set new ones” (161).

Make mistakes.

Although your students might think you’re perfect (haha!—sarcasm), it’s important for them to see you struggle and problem solve as you write at any stage in the writing process. They’ll feel okay about mistakes they make and will also be equipped with the tools to solve their own writing struggles. Schunk recommends using “coping models” so students can see how you handle struggles and difficulties. Your problem solving strategies will translate to their problem solving strategies (161).

Be explicit and specific.

When you model, make sure students know how they can apply the strategy to their own writing. Take them through each step and be ready to answer questions. Berkely and Regan emphasize the important of explicit explanation of how and why a strategy is being used (277).

Give students guided and independent practice.

As you model, let students practice the strategy. Walk them through the process, and then give them the opportunity to do it on their own.

 Provide encouraging and relevant feedback.

This is important for building a student’s self-efficacy about a task. Even though you’ll likely have suggestions for improvement, let students know what they did well. Through your feedback, affirm students of their ability to be effective writers.

Click here to see my video on developing a thesis statement. 

  Watch this video of Kelly Gallagher (the author of Write Like This) discuss his beliefs about writing and using modeling to teach writing.

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You Are Not Giada: Modeling Real Life Writing

You are not Giada De Laurentiis. You should not have a perfect looking lasagna ready to pull out of the oven after having only shown a few scenes of mincing garlic and stirring a pot. No, no. Modeling writing is about getting down to the nitty gritty. It’s about the flour all over the kitchen, the egg dropped on the floor, the crushed tomatoes and spices simmering in the pot. On Food Network we see brief snippets of some prettily laid out process and then miraculously a perfectly baked pie emerges from the oven…”I made this one earlier and it looks just about done. Yum! Isn’t this nice!” Yeah, that is nice, but how in the world did it happen? I want to grab the cook by their shirt perfectly coordinated to their kitchen curtains and yell, “How does this work?!”

It will do students absolutely no good to watch a teacher with everything perfectly together. When you write on your own, you pause at times, you scratch out words, you backspace. You delete entire chunks of text, you light up with a brilliant realization. These are important steps in the writing process, and students should have the opportunity to see them modeled.  Holmes says, “Show the students. Don’t just tell them some of your own writing struggles and how you solved them” (2). Being real, or authentic, about writing is essential for this modeling strategy to work. The entire strategy is based on the concept of high self-efficacy being necessary for students to feel capable of performing a task or acquiring a skill. If they don’t think it’s normal to struggle and are not equipped with the tools to problem solve, they are not going be efficacious about writing. Therefore, teachers must be honest when they model.

As instructors, as models of writing, we have to present the real deal when it comes to composing a piece of writing. Frequently, developing writers feel as if they don’t have the skills or knowledge needed to complete a writing task. Writing is a personal and emotional experience! We create something from our minds, often from our own experiences, to be criticized and assessed. That’s scary, even for a teacher! But according to Holmes, “Teachers can diffuse students’ feelings of inadequacy when they model writing. Students may think, ‘The teacher is having a hard time just like me, yet she seems so excited about writing. I guess I’ll give it a try.’ When teachers share their passions and struggles with students, they create a haven conducive to developing a community of writers.’ Holmes goes on to quote teacher consultant Stephanie Harvey, “’Teachers can foster a safe haven for inquiry by taking risks themselves. A teacher’s willingness to take risks can assure kids that their heads will not be separated from their shoulders if they try something new’ (4). Students have to know that when they write on their own, it’s okay for them to be frustrated and not do something in the best way the first time. Kelly Gallagher writes, “If students are to become better writers, they need to recognize that sometimes their first idea isn’t always their best idea” (229).  Help students become comfortable with making multiple attempts at their writing. Let them know it’s not like Giada making a pretty little lasagna for her family without getting a spot of sauce on her pristine countertops. Writing can get dirty. The process might seem daunting, but it’s like that for every writer, so they should not feel discouraged. 

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The Tough Stuff: Addressing the Issues That Keep Us From Modeling

With the typical class period in a high school classroom being anywhere from 50 minutes to 90 minutes, and with literally scores of material to cover to make sure students are prepared for the ominous standardized tests, taking the time to model a strategy might seem unrealistic. The average high school classroom has about 25 students which means you are trying to teach 25 unique learning styles, 25 minds full of prior knowledge, and 25 writers at different stages of development (IES Teacher Trends).  There are mandates to follow, policies to uphold, and a curriculum that may or may not be the best for all of the students. We must meet an extensive set of curriculum standards as well as teacher standards, prepare students for standardized tests, while at the same time engaging students and allowing them the opportunity to inquire and discover (EPSB). The idea of actually teaching writing in such an environment is daunting. But, we see the traditional way of teaching writing in K-12 schools has not been the most successful. Many students graduate, some entering post-secondary institutions, still as basic writers (Shaugnessy 234).

When I was in school, I remember spending more time learning writing in elementary school, but middle and high school classes never emphasized instruction on writing. At that point, we were expected to just do it. We had learned how to write a friendly letter (ugh!), how to create a 5-sentence paragraph, and not to ever, ever, write a run-on sentence. With that basic knowledge, we were thrust into a sea of research papers and open response questions and expected to produce worth reading. Well, we didn’t. And there was not a lot of opportunity to learn how to improve. We were given definitions, lists, and rubrics, but never did a teacher sit down and say, “Okay. This is how I do it. You can do it, too!” As an education major and frequenter of the high school classroom, I definitely understand why modeling writing strategies might not have seemed like the most doable option.

he biggest issues that teachers might think could affect their ability to model are time constraints, YOUR self-efficacy about modeling, and fulfilling all of the standards you’re required to fulfill. Below are some problem solving ideas to help you face these challenges head-on, eager and ready to model writing to help your students become more effective writers.

Time Constraints: There is never, ever, ever enough time to get everything done in a single class period. Go ahead and wave your hand and shout “amen, sister!” Modeling does take time, and patience. I recommend scheduling your lessons to accommodate modeled writing workshops a couple times throughout the process of your students working on a writing task. Additionally, you can make videos modeling writing and upload them to YouTube and/or a class blog. With QuickTime player or web-based software like Jing, you can create video screenshots and accompanying audio. Students writing outside of the classroom can look to your videos for guidance. This teacher gives feedback and responds to student questions through screen shot videos. Check it out here.

The Standards: I know the standards get a lot of grief, but really, they’re not all that bad. They promote critical thinking and deeper learning. However, it can be tough to fulfill all of the standards while experimenting with new teaching strategies. Rest assured that modeling writing will still allow you (and even help you!) to fulfill the CCAS (Common Core Academic Standards). You can find the writing standards here.

 Your Self-Efficacy: Um, getting up in front of a class full of teenagers who don’t really care about developing and supporting an argument in a paper can be frightening. They all look at you with glazed over expressions, mouths half open, muttering “this is stupid…” You also might not feel like the strongest of writers, or maybe you’re embarrassed because you think your writing process is not pretty and doesn’t always fit in with THE WRITING PROCESS poster hanging up in your classroom. How can you model your process to your students? Won’t they think you look stupid? The beauty of modeling is that it needs to be genuine for it to be effective. I’ve said it quite a bit already, but it’s perfectly fine for you to struggle. Kelly Gallagher says “the teacher in the room is the strongest writer in the room” (see this video). Your students need to see you struggle and make mistakes while you write; otherwise, they won’t think it’s normal for them to struggle when they write and they won’t want to do it. Shake your jitters off, maybe start by making a few videos, and then model writing for your class. You can do it! 

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Apply: Modeling Prewriting Strategies

Lesson Plan: Modeling Prewriting

In her article “Show, Don’t Tell the Importance of Explicit Prewriting,” Kerry Holmes emphasizes the importance of modeled prewriting. Prewriting, in some form or fashion, is the essential first step to composing a piece of writing. This modeled lesson focuses on brainstorming main points after developing an argument (if you want to see the video of one of my prewriting strategy, click here).

  Objective

The student will be able to brainstorm several points that support his or her thesis/argument.

Materials

SmartBoard, or computer synched to a projector, or a projector and transparency sheet+ markers

Prior Activities

A developed thesis statement

Some basic research

Procedure:

Bell Ringer: Have students respond to a confidence questionnaire

Question: Do you feel confident in your ability to develop several points to support the thesis you developed? Why or why not? What would help you feel more confident?

 In front of the students, either on the SmartBoard, computer, or projector, model the way you brainstorm points to support your thesis. After you’ve finished, ask your students how they prefer to brainstorm. Ask for a volunteer to model their way of prewriting supporting points.

Write together in class. Allow time for the students to brainstorm while you brainstorm on the board/projector. If they have questions, be available to answer them.

Exit Slip: Have students respond to the following questions.

Questions: Did watching someone else, whether it was a classmate or the teacher, demonstrate how they prewrite helpful to you? Why or why not? What’s the most effective way for YOU to prewrite supporting points for your thesis?

Things to Consider

If you like graphic organizers, make one and pass out copies to your students to use as well. They might enjoy a template in which to record their ideas.