First Draft IR

Brian Radcliff

Hem Paudel

English 102

1/29/15

Writing in Education

            For most people choosing a major will be the biggest decision of their life up until that point. There are hundreds of options with different variations and minors in each field. I myself am a Secondary Education Major, with a specific focus in English. This means I will get a degree allowing me to teach English courses in any age group from eighth grade through all levels of high school. Although mine is probably a much better example than most, nearly every major has something in common, writing. No matter what you choose to do, writing will be a part of your occupation in some way, whether it is formal or informal, academic or non-academic. It just so happens that English education is a great example of all of the above.

            In order to further my knowledge on writing in my field, I interviewed two people who are currently employed as English teachers. The first person I interviewed was Jessica Ruth, a high school English teacher of over 30 years. When I asked Mrs. Ruth if she considered writing to be a large part of her career as an English teacher she gave me the much-expected answer, yes. But she also added, looking from another perspective, that part of her job was “getting [her] students to communicate efficiently through writing.” I enjoyed this answer because I did not expect it. Not only is writing a part of her job and everyday life, but it is also her job to teach others how to write effectively. When asked how often she uses writing of any kind, Jessica responded by saying she used writing “every hour of the day.” English teachers, and all teachers for that matter, spend a large portion of their day writing lesson plans, emails, announcements, and so on and so forth. The final question I asked Mrs. Ruth was how important she considered writing (hers or others) to be in her profession and she responded by saying, “Writing is important in every career . . . even she shortest report takes some amount of skill in communicating your end result, and that is what writing is all about.” She portrayed this answer perfectly; my own words cannot do it any more justice. Without writing, every occupation would be at a stand still, no one could efficiently communicate. And communication is the key to success.

            The second person I interviewed, Brian Dotsey, is also an English teacher, but is brand new to the profession. I thought he could give a different perspective on a few questions. I asked Mr. Dotsey how important writing was in regards to gaining his degree (something it may be nice to know if you decide to pursue education) and said, “Writing was very important in getting my degree . . . many of my education classes incorporated writing units and writing development for our own sake, and for the sake of our future students. For example, I took a class entitled “Teaching Writing”, in order to determine the different types and approaches of writing, and the importance of it. The fact that there was a whole class about writing hints that it is of the utmost importance within a students’ education.” His response to this question pretty tells you everything you need to know about writing in education, it is everything. I also asked Mr. Dotsey what the main form of writing he used on an every day basis was and responded by telling me that “the main form of writing [he] uses is personal reflection, from recounting instances from various class periods to making notes of what worked and what didn’t in class instruction.” Mr. Dotsey jots down notes after each class or at the end of the day each and every day. Further proving that writing is a large part of the education field.

            Next I indulged into several pieces of writing related to and written by people in my chosen career. In one informational report about teacher education and the new developing processes within the program written by a teacher himself, Peter Rennert-Ariev, he exclaims that “during the first semesters, students completed five methods courses and a two-day-a-week in school-based field experience. During the second semester, students completed a full-time in-school student teaching internship. The field placement during both semesters involved an initial, midterm, and final conference.” Rennert-Ariev is simply describing the new system that is in place at a certain university involving field placements in teacher education. This is one of few academic sources I could find when it comes to the teaching profession.

            Another academic source I found very interesting, written by a teacher, William Ayers, for teachers titled To Teach: the journey of a teacher. Which is the very definition of an academic source. Ayers writes about the journey of becoming a teacher in todays generation. He gives great insightful knowledge into the teaching profession. During his novel in regards to becoming a great teacher Ayers says, “Outstanding teaching is built on a base of knowledge about students.” He also explains that “standardized testing separates kids into winners and losers at a very young age.” Ayers is strongly against standardized testing for both the students and the teachers saying they set “unrealistic expectations”. The novel as a whole is a great example of academic writing in the teaching profession.  In the English department one will also read and write an abundance of nonacademic sources such as poems, papers, short stories, or any other type of creative writing. This is when you are free to write whatever you feel; however you want to. The beauty of these works is also one of the many reasons people are drawn to English.

After reviewing several sources and conducting interviews with professionals in my field I have discovered that writing is everywhere when it comes to education, specifically in the English department. A teacher will use writing in every waking moment of the day, and even when he or she comes home from work to make lesson plans or write grade reports. If writing is something you despise, I would not suggest a career in English education. But if writing is something that inspires you, English is the way to go.

Works Cited

Rennert- Ariev, Peter. "The Hidden Curriculum of Performance-Based Teacher Education." TCRecord: Article. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

Ayers, William. To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher. New York: Teachers College, 1993. Print.

E-mail interview. 21 Jan. 2015. (Ruth)

E-mail interview. 23 Jan. 2015. (Dotsey)