Tip 68 says that we should "Socialize with other writers."  I can definitely use this in my classroom.  I hope to form writing circles this year that allow students to share and discuss their writing with one another.  I think this will improve both their writing and communication skills.

While I realize that this was meant to be a quick list, I found many of the suggestions simplistic.  For example, tip 4 says to "Read what you’ve written over and over, until you can’t find any more problems."  As an English teacher and a writer, this raises lots of alarms for me.  How can you find problems if you don't know what you are looking for?  Do you have a purpose behind your rereading?  A focus for your rewrite?  Reading over and over can actually blind you to problems, so what can you do to ensure you are seeing the material with fresh eyes?  

I bring up this point because I think that we often give lists like this to students, and expect them "get something" from these lists.  I would rather see a 5 point outline with explanation and examples than a huge list with vague suggestions. Just a thought.

Molly 663 days ago