More than Capable

Every person is capable of writing.

Up until the tenth grade, I hated writing. Okay, let’s say I greatly disliked it (hate is such a strong word). I greatly disliked grammar. I greatly disliked thesis statements. I greatly disliked topic sentences. I greatly disliked brainstorming, transitioning, and revising. You name it – I greatly disliked it all.

When I wrote, I felt defeated. I used commas incorrectly. My thesis statements that I worked hours on were never good enough. And don’t get me started about topic sentences. I was lucky if I landed a B- on a paper; writing well seemed like an impossible task. My tenth grade English teacher, however, taught me otherwise.

Unlike any other teacher I had, Mrs. Schmidt invested in me. She spent time with me everyday, in and out of class. Because of her, I learned that writing is a process, one that I’m capable of doing.

As I sit here seven years later, a teacher in the making (hopefully someone similar to Mrs. Schmidt), I wonder how I’m going to help my students with their writing. How will I engage the students who “greatly dislike” writing? How do I encourage students who have already given up? How can I help students see how important writing is? And how do I help students see that every person is, in fact, capable of writing?