Carol's Reflection on Graves

How reassuring and liberating to read that although methodology has its place, more important are the conditions set by those teaching writing. Having high expectations, teaching by showing, being intensely interested in my students, making sure each has a primary place in my classroom and instilling a sense of responsibility are things I can do without consulting a chart. But, auwe! One condition is missing for this future educator: being highly literate. I don't have the time to read or write as much as I'd like to other than the newspaper and occasional journal entry, but it's clear I have to make time if I expect my students to do the same.

Defining teaching as a craft -- the process of shaping material toward an end -- gave me a different perspective. It reminds me that although there are necessary goals like completing the curriculum and reaching benchmarks, careful attention has to be paid to the process of reaching those goals. There was a definite feeling of familiarity when I read the conversation between a student in a writing slump and her teacher, since most light bulbs that I see going on are a result of questions asked. Graves seems to repeat some common themes I see in my own classes as well as my 5th grade class: give fewer instructions, show more, and ask more questions.