Robert Edward Brooke

Robert Brooke gave me something I've been longing for as a writing teacher: a in-depth description of writer's workshop at the undergraduate level. And while he didn't answer the question I had been hoping to discuss, "How effective is writing workshop with first-year college writing students?" he did offer a unique perspective on the method. Brooke's interest lay mainly in exploring the dispositions of his writers in these workshop driven courses. That perspective proved fascinating. Brookes describes groups of students who are discovering their own purposes and audiences for writing. Those purposes varied from the political to the super personal. But one thing seemed true for most of the students involved in Brookes' workshops: they saw themselves as real writers in the real world with a real job to do.

Some students passed the class with flying colors while others failed but were completely happy with the D that they received because they saw the effort as worthwhile.

The takeaway from this book is that it provides a frame around which Lucy Calkins "One thing writers do" mini-lesson statements can be placed. I left wondering how I can help my students view themselves as writers, not academic hoop jumpers. The answer does seem to lie in the related realms of purpose and audience. But how to accomplish this in a way that, should I teach in higher ed, aligns with the systemic expectations?… (mehr)