Changing the Writing Atmosphere

Two big thoughts came to mind as I read the assigned chapters:

1. Suppose a student writes about a meaningful topic that is harmful to another student. Is it fair to silence that opinion because it does not gel with the classroom community? What if the student writes about violence to voice something real and tangible in their life? We are saying, “You can write about anything except these topics which are hurtful to other students.” I realize this sounds extremely anti-censorship, but I struggle to understand how we can encourage our students to “do powerful things in the world in which they live” when we limit their writing to unoffensive topics. Can we somehow establish a system within writing workshops for public and private writing? Maybe private writing gets folded toward the center of the notebook with a paper clip?
2. Thinking of censorship led me to question our definition of fairness. When I read the two paragraphs at the top of page fourteen, I thought “Fairness takes on a different look.” I see a parent complaining about their lazy child’s C in comparison to another student’s A. If “quantity is what matters” and grades are based on whether a student gave their best effort, we shatter any previous notion of normal in the classroom. I love these ideas because it will take something drastic to redeem classroom writing. Grading based on how well a student develops their writing identity (page 33) would transform an elementary school in profound ways!