On Creative Writing II, and Why Some Students Do Not Like to Write

    

CW II is a specialized course which helps the student develop their ability to create and develop ideas. I've seen adults do it and learn from it. However, I usually recommend that if a student age nine and up is doing well on that front after CW I, they skip to III. I takes nearly a whole semester by itself, usually. I put II there as a sort of fail-safe for the parents and student.

A person can be a reluctant writer for numerous reasons. In the past, I've often found that reluctant writers are reluctant because their writing has been "helped" or "critiqued" by others, and those others could be anyone from friends and family to well meaning teachers. The way I designed the courses, I ask that no critique or 'constructive criticism' be offered the student at any point. This is a tough request, I know. But I think usually this is the 'stop' for the student. To create, one must feel safe to create. When creating, we're putting a part of ourselves out there for others to see and there's no where to hide.

Another stop can be literacy. If a student feels not up to the language demands needed to write, they simply won't embarrass themselves. The fix for this is to focus on the student's literacy and not worry about CW until a little later.

1st Step has CW as well, at lower levels of challenge, in Elementary and Starter. Starter is in fact CW for pre-literate students, where the focus is again on the development of ideas and a basic understanding of writing. If your student is really struggling with CTT CW I, you might want to consider trying 1st Step Elem CW I.

Another reason for reluctance is that the student was asked to do things that were too hard roo soon and failed. Failure is a very persuasive argument to not do a thing again. CW II was created as a step to CW III, which is harder and more complex by far than CW I. We want students to win every day. We want them to feel empowered by their accomplishments, not demeaned by their failures. That is how the present educational system is designed in many ways - to demean those who "cannot keep up" by assigning grades, holding students back, etc. It's pathetic when you realize that it's the school and teachers and curricula that failed the student, and not the other way around.

Then there are some people who just don't like to write. There are also people who aren't terribly communicative in any form, as I know you are aware. A key for such people is to allow them to work in their own way and pace. The assignments in CW are all there in black and white. Education should not be done on the clock, or by the calendar. I've seen students walk away from CW and come back a year later and more, ready to pick up where they left off.

There will be students who simply will not write creative works no matter what. If they won't, they won't. For those students (rare, based on what I've seen) CW is just not going to work. I would never force a student to do CW. I'd look for some other English skills program if you get an adamant "I don't want to write, ever" day after day. Why force a student to do a thing they hate or are afraid of. People change in the course of a life. Perhaps someday conditions within the student (or without) will arrive at a point where the student will happily write again. Forcing a student to write, however, is almost a guarantee they will hate it.

     Steven Horwich
     Connect The Thoughts