TByrd

Pages1-13of Craft lessons

                      As I read my first assignmentI thought of all the wonderful writing lessons from the past 28 years and the high test scores of my students. I am so proud that I did not wait to read this book before teaching as these teachers have desribed so well in this book. The pages I read were all about the motivation of the authors and the philosophy from which they approach the teaching of writing. It is true that teachers spend more time on the planning of the topic and the finished product than is spent on crafting. My personal belief is that we do this because that is the basic necessity of teaching writing and crafting is for students who actually plan to become writers by stock and trade. We seem to be in a swing these days towards extending beyond the basics. We are leaving the time that requires us to stick to the bottom line or basics. Ummmm...I'm with this to the point that we do not frustrate students who are only hoping to pass and, not necessarily, become another Mark Twain. We must encourage and teach whenever the moment is right for the student and this is what makes Craft Lessons a very good source for teachers.