I’ve survived my first semester teaching freshman composition and I can’t help but think back to a question we explored early on in this class: can writing be taught? I’m recalling the New York Times article—the title of which is the aforementioned question, verbatim—written by Rivka Galchen and Zoe Heller. In this article, the writers ponder this question by comparing writing to the sciences and, ultimately, the biblical Word, implying that we hold writing to an impossible standard and that (the bible) is why we would even entertain such a question. “Is it somehow flattering to feel one’s endeavor is more gift than labor, and are writers more in need of such flattery than others” They wonder.
But I’ve seen the writing of many of my students improve dramatically over the course of but a few months. I’ve witnessed the answer to the central question materialize itself, firsthand. Yes, writing can be taught, but it requires a few crucial prerequisites in order for this to be accomplished: 1.) the student must care, must actually desire to improve; 2.) consistent practice; and 3.) the teacher must provide an environment in which the former 2 requirements can be fostered.
This leaves us with a new, more pertinent question as teachers of composition: how can we inspire our students to care about learning how to write and, furthermore, to do so with proficiency?