Keeping it real: Valuing authenticity in the writing classroom

Original paper: LINK

By Anne Elrod Whitney

We all yearn for genuine connections [LINK]. Authenticity means being real and honest, not pretending.

As teachers of writing, we need to aim for this authenticity. When we ask students to write, we want their purposes to be real and meaningful. We want their writing processes to be genuine. When they compose texts, we want these to reflect real-life writerly situations. The audiences we source for our students should be genuine too, with real readers providing real reactions [LINK]. And in our relationships with students, we should strive to be authentic, encouraging them to be their true selves as well [LINK].

The challenge of maintaining authenticity in school

We often separate school writing from the ‘real-world’ too sharply [LINK, LINK and LINK]. School writing is too often seen by children as preparation for the future, where writing tasks are ‘just practice’ until you’re allowed to do it for real. However, for children, school is their real world. Children arrive at school with a belief that everything they do there is real and important work [LINK]. They don’t initially worry about academic recognition or question the value of writing tasks. But over time, this sense of reality fades [LINK]. Why does this happen?

Schools often overlook what is most real and immediate to students, like their daily experiences, concerns, hopes, fears, and relationships. Instead, we focus on alienating and detaching children from writing, asking them to write about teacher or scheme-assigned topics for no reason at all [LINK]. To keep writing meaningful, we need to connect it to students’ lives and genuine interests.

Making authenticity a practice in the writing classroom

Most of us understand what it feels like to write something truly meaningful – when it serves a real purpose or gets an important job done. There is a sense of pleasure and satisfaction that comes from that. But do our students experience writing in the same way, or do they just see it as another thing you have to ‘get done’ while you’re at school [LINK and LINK]?

As teachers, we want to provide our students with genuine writing opportunities, but how can we make this a reality? How can we create authentic writing experiences that help students see the true value of writing?

In her article, the Anne Whitney proposes that authenticity requires actions related to four areas:

1. Authentic genres: Use real-life writing forms that students might encounter outside of school [EYFS, KS1 and KS2].
2. Authentic processes: Engage students in writing processes that mirror what writers actually do [LINK].
3. Authentic audiences: Connect students with real readers who provide genuine reactions, social-connection and feedback [LINK].
4. Authentic relationships: Be a genuine writer-teacher and help students express their themselves [LINK & LINK].

By emphasising these aspects, you help students see writing as something more than just a school-based task and help them build more meaningful connections with their writing and with each other.

Using real-life writing genres in the classroom

Authenticity means inviting children to make real, successful and meaningful writing rather than artificial stuff. To making class writing projects more authentic, try these strategies:

1. Use real-life language for genres. Look at how different types of writing are presented in bookstores, magazines, and online [LINK and LINK].
2. Encourage observing real-world writing: Have students track every instance of writing they see over a few days and then discuss these observations as a class. Highlight the purposes behind different writing activities to show that writing has value and use outside of school.
3. Provide real-world examples: Whenever you plan a class writing project, offer examples from outside the classroom [LINK]. If you can’t find a real-world example of what you’re asking students to write, perhaps this is telling you something. Perhaps you need to reconsider whether it’s a worthwhile project.
4. Define genres authentically: Use examples from the real world to teach students about different genres. Read as writers. Analyse what makes a review a review, an essay an essay, or a blog a blog. Also, be open to the idea that genre definitions and conventions change over time.
5. Consider the context of genres: Look beyond just text features. Discuss the purpose, audience, and context that led to the creation of the text [LINK]. Genres are nothing more than purposes for writing. They are a response to a specific situation, so help students identify similar scenarios where they might use the same genre in their lives [LINK].
6. Answer questions with real examples: When students ask questions like “How long does it need to be?” or “Can I draw a diagram?” refer to real-world examples [LINK]. This approach not only grounds your teaching in authentic content but also teaches students how to make these decisions on their own.

Using authentic writing processes in the classroom

Here’s how we can make the writer’s process more authentic:

1. Allow flexibility: Writing doesn’t always go as planned, and that’s okay. Encourage students to adapt and change their plans as needed [LINK]. If a draft takes them in a new direction, give them the space to explore those new ideas rather than sticking strictly to their initial plan.
2. Share your process: Keep a journal of your own writing processes, strategies and techniques. Share these strategies with your students before inviting them to give the strategy a try for themselves that day [LINK].
3. Write alongside students: Occasionally, write in front of your class, thinking out loud about your decisions [LINK]. This shows students that writing is a social and dynamic process, not just about producing a ‘first-shot perfect product’.
4. Set process goals: Set very specific goals for writing time [LINK].
5. Teach specific strategies: When you give verbal feedback, explain the strategies you use when you’re writing and how they might be useful in their situation [LINK]. For example, show them how you use show don’t tell to create a ‘film’ in your readers’ minds.
6. Create posters: Throughout the year, create posters of the different writing strategies you’ve taught that have really helped your students. Display these in the classroom as a reference.
7. Discuss process in sharing time: After writing sessions, ask students about their process. Invite them to discuss their top-tips and any other exciting outcomes. This helps them reflect on their own writerly experiences.
8. Focus on planning, revision and proof-reading: Occasionally, have whole-class or small-groups discussions about specific aspects of the writing process. For example, discuss your favourite planning strategies [LINK], undertake revision checklist sessions [LINK] and proof-read using CUPS [LINK].
9. Include process narratives: When students produce their final published pieces, also have them write about the making of the piece. This could be a letter to their readers or an explanation to their classmates.
10. Review and reflect: Throughout the year, ask your class what mini-lessons have been most useful to them? [LINK]

Securing genuine audiences for children’s writing

Understanding your audience is crucial in writing. When we write, we’re not just putting words on paper – we’re often attempting to connect with people. We are wanting to make and share meaning with others. It’s important for students to write for real audiences who will connect socially with them and show their reaction(s) to their writing. We don’t want children only writing for their teacher’s evaluation nor do we want them writing for phantom hypothetical readers [LINK].

Here’s how you can make writing more authentic and engaging by focusing on real audiences:

1. Start with the audience: At the start of a new class writing project, have students consider who the audience(s) could be for their writing. This is best done by setting a publishing goal together [LINK].
2. Write for different audiences: Throughout the academic year, and across a Key Stage, ensure children write for a variety of different audiences. This way, they learn how to tailor their writing (and voice) for different readers. For instance, writing to a local government official (a stranger in a position of power and influence) is different to writing a picturebook for younger students.
3. Class sharing: Have students regularly exchange their pieces to get their friends’ reactions and feedback. Have them read their pieces aloud to their friends [LINK]. This practice helps them consider the different reactions people have to their writing and they can make changes accordingly.
4. Engage with the community: Use the community outside of school as audiences. For example, host a Writer’s Tea where students can read their stories to community members and see their reactions. This provides the valuable social-connection that writers need and makes the writing experience more meaningful [LINK].
5. Explore online audiences: Help students understand how their writing might be seen by others online. Discuss who might read their class blog or watch their video, and explore tools that show how their writing can be digitalised, found, and shared with others. This teaches them about the impact of their writing and the importance of online privacy and ethics.
6. Continually discuss audience reaction: Discuss with students what kind of reaction they want from their audiences and always share your reaction to their manuscripts [LINK].

By incorporating these strategies, you will help your pupils understand the importance of writing for real audiences and give them practical experience in tailoring their writing to meet different needs and expectations.

Being genuine with students in the classroom

To truly connect with pupils in the writing classroom, it’s essential that both teachers and students embrace authenticity. This means showing our true selves as writer-teachers (both our strengths and weaknesses) rather than just presenting polished, perfect writing products.

1. Show your real writing: Share your own writing with students, including plans, drafts revisions, proof-reads and abandoned pieces. Let them see that writing is a process.
2. Be yourself: Don’t try to be a perfect writer-teacher (it’s impossible). Instead, be open about your own writing struggles and successes. Let students see you as a real writer, complete with excitement and doubts [LINK].
3. Respond with empathy: When a student is facing a difficulty, let them know you understand. Share the strategies you use when you experience what your student is experiencing [LINK].
4. Focus on the writing processes not ‘one-shot perfect products’: Rather than aiming for a one-shot perfect outcome, value the journey of writing [LINK].
5. Make writing a shared and socially connecting experience: Build a classroom community where everyone, including you, is actively engaged in the writing processes. Let students see that writing is a collaborative effort, and that everyone’s contributions are valued [LINK and LINK].