Cohesive Writing- The Method Chapter 1

In this first chapter by Jago I found myself often nodding along as I read through the text. One idea specifically that I could relate to on a personal level was the problem students face in regard to “getting started.” Jago states it well when she says, “It is not that they don’t want to do the assignment. They just can’t figure out where to begin. Inertia, rather than indolence, keeps those pages blank.” How true of a statement is this? Sadly enough I found myself procrastinating all weekend on writing these blogs, not because I didn’t want to do them, or because I had not done the necessary reading, but because I couldn’t think of where to start. Sometimes my head is so filled with thoughts, and ideas that it’s so hard for me to put those concepts into a paper or in this situation a blog. Writing for me has been something that has come rather easily, I write regularly and often in one way or another. However, when it comes to classes, specifically writing an essay I may start it several times, and then wait until the night before to shell out an assignment. While this is a habit I find myself participating in I am not saying that I am comfortable with this behavior. I would hope that as a mentor and educator to my students that I could help them not fall into the same habits that I have unfortunately fallen into over the years. With this idea in mind, I really enjoyed Jago’s insight on starting small, and writing as much as you can in a timed period. Free writing is something I often did in my high school, and had my teachers presented this in an un intimidating fashion, I feel that I would have enjoyed it more. For instance, often times when we had a free write we were told that this would be turned in at that time, and it put a lot of pressure on us as students. However, had I simply been told, “This is a tool to get you started on creating ideas, and eventually resulting in a draft of your paper” I would have been more enthused about such an assignment. It is comforting to think that even those 50 words or so that you can create in that period of time, are 50 less that you need to do. Starting a paper is the hardest, so once you begin the rest will surely follow.

One style of writing that caught my particular attention was the question paper method of writing. I really enjoyed this style because it allows students to think critically about what they are reading, and by asking questions, they are forced to go back to the literature to find the answers. By doing a close read, students are able to answer their own questions rather than relying on the answers being spoon fed to them. I feel that this approach is essential specifically when dealing with poetry that can be challenging for students to analyze. From personal experience I found that by applying my own thoughts and questions, I was able to dive into reading on a more personal and intimate level. This idea is a great way to be able to relate better to literature that perhaps may have seemed impossible to find a personal connection with. Jago discusses how a question paper is an example of a form of dialogue between the writer and himself. I feel that this process is great for exploring literature and asking questions, and then working with others to find connections and varying points of view. I plan on using such an exercise in my own classroom, and think that its something that was often overlooked in my English classes during adolescence.