Building Confidence in Your Young Writers
Earlier in the month, we talked about using NaNoWriMo in your classroom. If you haven’t checked it out yet, this month-long novel writing challenge makes a lot of sense in the ELA or ELL classroom. It’s all about opening up space for longer creative writing pieces, all while unleashing their creativity. From character creation to plot resolutions, this project allows them to explore the literary process in whatever way they deem fit.
Yet, we also know that some writing teachers might give pause. Even if your students are interested in such an ambitious project, what if they don’t possess the confidence to tackle something so big?
In reality, it’s all about cultivating their self-esteem as writers. While you can’t just snap your fingers and give them that positive outlook over their writing skills, there’s a few tips that might help. First, show them what they’ve already achieved with writing. Show them what you truly believe to be their strengths in their past pieces and how it can carry over. Another way is to express your own writing journey as well. Although we might be embarrassed to admit it, we writing teachers weren’t all Shakespeares on the first day. Let them know about what challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and what it felt like to succeed in writing.
Bottom-line: when you’re teaching writing, confidence is a giant part of the process. But don’t let a little doubt scare them, or you, from letting loose the creativity in your classroom.
Need some more ideas for supporting your young writers? Get in touch!