Students in writing classes have often written practice papers and received them back from their teachers, with each mistake systematically exposed by the teacher’s red ink. Although many teachers mean well, the school system’s methodology on training their students how to write have created some worrying trends. Rather than focusing on teaching students how to write well, it seems that many teachers simply teach students how to not write badly. It’s only natural for people to focus on identifying mistakes. For most readers, errors jump out at them, leading many to compulsively mark them to make them known to the writer. But rarely will most people think to point out what is actually working well in a student’s writing. A good piece of writing may read smoothly, but many readers do not consciously pick up on techniques that are working well to where they can make specific comments. As a result, students that feel as though they are always criticized by their teachers for their mistakes may fail to see the point of writing at all, and begin to drift away from it entirely.

Such an attitude leads to the exact opposite of the instructor’s intentions. Teachers want to see their student’s writing grow and improve, which is why they mark up their student’s paper with their mistakes. But from a student’s perspective, their inability to write without having their work torn apart makes their writing ability feel like a weakness – something to be afraid of, or even to be ashamed of. What they don’t realize is that their writing is one of the most effective tools that they will be able to utilize. Being able to write allows for people to reach out to others in ways that are beyond what they can comprehend. Teachers know this, and want to see students doing well. But while showing their students various grammar rules and essay samples is helpful, teachers should emphasize instilling students with an internal desire to write. Students should be encouraged to take what they’ve learned in school and express themselves in writing outside of the classroom.

The idea of developing a writer from within can be likened to passing a flaming torch – in this instance, the flaming torch symbolizes a writer’s spirit. Teachers want to pass their knowledge of writing to their students, so they can take what they’ve learned from the classroom and apply it outside of class. Students should be able to receive the torch from the teacher, being able to use what they’ve learned to give them what they need to succeed in their writing endeavors.

But why is encouraging an autonomous outlook of writing so important? I believe that even if a student is taught how to write, it won’t matter if they never actually use it. A student that is only taught how to write when tied down and forced to may not be able to appreciate the inherent qualities and opportunities that writing can deliver. Here are a few benefits:

Transmission: Writing has the benefit of being able to be easily dispersed. Through writing, students can utilize their abilities to respond to situations. One of the more notable forms of writing comes in the form of online media journalists. These people cover various real-world events, or simply share their opinion about a topic. A powerful short story or essay can spread across the globe to strangers across the globe, changing the thoughts of people that come into contact with your ideas.

Progression: Writers can wrestle with different aspects of a topic while they’re writing about it. One thing people say about writing is that the people reading it may learn from your words, but it is the writer themselves who grows the most from the experience. Writing usually involves some research, or some form of internal thought when it comes to constructing an article. By focusing on topics that the writer personally cares about, they will grow from the experience and become more knowledgeable in that area. The people who read their words will also grow from the experience as well!

Discussion: Writing allows for others to develop their own ideas on a topic. For those that write about any given topic, it is inevitable for someone to stumble across your work, whether randomly or through a recommendation. This allows for writers to essentially interact with the people that stumble across their articles. One saying that I’ve heard from my News Literacy teacher was that “Every piece of writing is a response to something else.” Writers can foster discussion about nearly any topic, influencing their audience with their own point-of-view and expanding the mindsets of their readers.  By doing so, information can pass down from the writer to the reader, which can take what they’ve gotten from your writing and pass it down in a myriad of other forms.

Writing can be a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled writer. Those that masterfully use their abilities can express themselves in a way that resonates with their readers, influencing how they perceive elements of the world around them. It is this ability that teachers should desire to manifest within their students – which is why choking their internal writer’s spirit with endless micro-corrections will only stifle their creative spirit.