My Students Are Better Writers Than Me, And I’m Okay With That

You Don't Have To Be The Best Writer To Be The Best Writing Teacher.

As an inclusion teacher, I typically work with students who are reluctant writers or who need help building a strong writing foundation. However, this year, I’ve had the opportunity to do something a little different. I’ve had the chance to teach a high school creative writing class where most of the students are enthusiastic writers and gifted storytellers. It has been a lot of fun, but I have also been challenged by the fact that this is one of the few times in my teaching career when I’m not the best writer in the room. 

When the students shared their writing with me on the first day of class, I was impressed by their talent and creativity. Many of them had strong writing voices that seasoned writers take years to find. Others wrote descriptive prose with vivid word pictures that stuck with me long after the class was through. I’ve been writing fiction for years, but it was clear to me that some of my students were better writers than me, or had more natural talent than I did. It was also clear to me that I would have to change my teaching approach in order to best meet their needs.

As teachers, we are used to being the experts in the classroom. We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that we are the only ones who are able to impart knowledge and teach new skills. When we enter a classroom where this is not the case, we can struggle to find our footing. The good news is that teachers don’t have to feel intimidated when our students show more natural talent than us. It is simply an opportunity for us to switch our mindsets and embrace our new roles as coaches and facilitators. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Embrace Your Role As A Coach

Even the strongest of writers can benefit from an objective coach. Someone who encourages them and praises them for their strengths, but challenges them to make improvements. Someone who helps them to see their blind spots. For example, I have found that some students tend to be overly poetic and descriptive in their writing. The plot of their story can get lost in the forest of metaphors and descriptive details. Other students might have pages and pages of dialogue that doesn’t really add anything to their story. In my role as coach, I can encourage the students to think about their intended audience and the purpose of each scene. I can also plan lessons on revision to help them improve their drafts.

Practice The Fundamentals

Strong writers still need to practice the fundamentals of creative writing. Even though my students are happily writing away on their own projects, I still need to take the time to teach mini-lessons on essential topics like pacing, creating a setting, building believable characters, and plot. I teach the mini-lesson and then have the students work on a short writing activity that gives them the chance to practice whatever skill we are working on. At the end of the activity, students are given the opportunity to share their writing with each other and receive constructive feedback on their work. This gives the students a chance to learn from each other, and it provides the students with new tools to add to their writing toolkits. 

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to be the best writer in the classroom to be an effective writing teacher. Part of being a good writing teacher is knowing how to help your students build on their own natural talent, and being willing to step back and serve as a facilitator as your students learn from each other.

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