The first creative writing course I took was when I was in 2nd grade. As a kid, I loved to write. I loved fantasy novels and would write fairy tale stories whenever I had the chance. Going to creative writing workshops with other kids my age was my favorite part of the week. I couldn’t stop writing. Fast forward 10 years, and there I am sitting in my AP Language and Composition class, dreading to write. I can’t help but ask myself, what happened?
Most students my age around me, don’t like to write. There are always complaints about essays that are due and reflections that have to be written. However, I believe that it wasn’t always this way. Especially as I reminisce back to when I would create elaborate stories in my writing notebook, it’s hard to believe that all of the people around me hated writing from the beginning. I believe the root of our collective dislike to write lies in high school writing.
Writing anything in high school means rules and restrictions. The teacher is always outlining specific things that we should not include unless we want to receive a low grade. The prompts are worded in ways that make students think in one specific way. Being a ‘good’ writer means having good transitions, writing in “standard English,” and using a traditional 5-paragraph essay format. After writing by these standards for four years, it’s hard to come out of it at the end and say “I love to write.” Writing is a form of creative expression and it shouldn’t be limited to a formula that adults force you to follow. Most students are conditioned to write in ways that don’t mean anything to them, which explains why so many of them don’t enjoy it.
It would be unfair to put all the blame on the public education system, however, because there are so many different factors that play a part in why teacher’s teach what they do. Prep for college admissions essays, as well as the expectations for writing on standardized testing are huge contributors to the issue. Change needs to occur in all of these different areas, in order for students’ writing to truly be free.
As I listened to the podcast, “Stepping into the Self with Stephanie Renee Payne,” I couldn’t help but feel thankful for the professors as they shared their take on teaching students how to write. It was eye-opening and relieving to hear instructors in higher education encouraging non-formulaic writing. I still can’t say I love writing, however, knowing that my professors have such open minded views and styles of teaching, it gives me hope that one day, I will learn to enjoy it again.
