There’s no national repository for student essays. There’s no push to publish the stuff coming out of our classrooms (unless, we’re talking about the “we-will-publish-your-writing-so-we-can-relentlessly-harass-you-to-buy-our-book-with-your-child’s-name-and-writing-in-it” predators). And there’s a reason for this reality, it’s not–generally speaking, of course–very good writing.

And why would it be? Most of it is transactional, formulaic, artificial school writing that gets “archived” in the local landfill as soon as it’s returned. Oh, to be fair. Some of it is brilliant writing, and some of it gets “stored” for years (I just recently came across one of my brilliant 8th grade essays. Well, it seemed brilliant then). And some of it–rightly so–gets published. But, by and large, the products our kids are creating in our classrooms aren’t worth hanging on to. And a quick check in the trash can or recycling bin in America’s classrooms after the grade is read, would support such a claim.

Okay, so where are you going with this, Sy? You seem a little negative this morning. Fair enough. Let me explain.

I feel like our passionate push for perfect products, which demonstrate “mastery,” misses the mark. First, even the perfect product isn’t very good. Oh, it might be reflective of the Rosetta Rubric we offer as the means to master, but even it often gets left behind–transaction complete. Second, mastery is a myth if we believe it’s found in the product, the end. Even in the real world a true “master” admits he’s not a master–yet. And so, if the master’s never a master, is there really mastery? There’s the journey. But we never reach the destination. And yet, it seems, in our work we are too often subservient to this notion that we must, that we can get our kids to mastery–as reflected in the product.

Oh, I am not meaning to disparage the impossible work my ELA colleagues do with their young writers. It is hard–incredibly hard–and necessary work. Communication is a vital skill. But our work I believe is in the communicator–the writer, not the writing. And I have a feeling that even my product-oriented partners in this would agree. It’s about the process. It’s about the writer. But is it? Is that our walk of our talk? I am not convinced that we are truly there in our practice. But I do believe that if we could get there, it would be better for all. And I have some ideas that might help, but, unfortunately, I only have about five more minutes this morning. I knew I probably should not have tackled this. So, I will have to come back to it next week, and I will. For now, I will leave it with this.

Writers move. Writing gets left behind. So, then, it would seem in our work we need to give our writers experiences that become bridges. (And no, I don’t think the products are the bridges).

Sorry if I upset any of you this morning by “talking trash” about student writing. Certainly not my intent to upset. I just think there are crucial conversations we should be having about our students’ experiences as writers. And I had to start somewhere.

I will continue the conversation next week.

Happy Friday. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.