How do I nurture students’ writerly identities in my classroom?

Before I share ways to nurture students’ writerly identities, it is important to first discuss WHY we should nurture writers’ identities. Supporting the shaping of and caring for students’ identities as writers will position them not just as students in a school or classroom, but instead as authentic, capable and intentional writers who are part of a larger community of writers and thinkers. Encouraging students to cultivate and articulate their writerly identities helps them connect with their personal lives and lived experiences. Nurturing students’ writerly identities can support students’ investment in their learning and their growth as writers. I am borrowing Bonny Norton’s (2013) use of investment to expand on cognitive theories of motivation. If students invest in their identities as writers, they do so because “they understand they will acquire a wider range of symbolic (positioning as knowing) and material resources which will increase the value of their cultural capital and social power” (p.1). In other words, investment goes beyond individual notions of motivation and considers the social construction of self and the need to spend time and effort extending and flourishing in one’s identity. Investment works if one’s identity is positive and seen as an attribute- not as a negative character trait.

For example, have you ever heard a student say, “I’m a really good soccer player” or “I’m an artist.”? This naming of one’s identity lends itself to investing in that identity- maintaining the reputation and status of the positive feelings and positive attention one gets from that identity. On the other hand, have you ever heard a student say, “I’m not a writer” or “I have nothing to write about.”? If students don’t believe they are capable and that their lives don’t matter in the act of writing and thinking, then they will not want to invest their time or take the risks of writing (because let’s face it- writing is hard and highly complex). If we nurture students’ writerly identities, then we support their unique and capable abilities and promote the investment (and intrinsic motivation) in their identities as writers- a highly regarded social status in the class, in the school, and in their homes and communities.

So now back to the question, how do we nurture students’ writerly identities? The first step in nurturing writers’ identities is to start calling your students writers and identify their strengths and abilities as writers. You can create expert lists of students who are excellent at describing or outstanding at creating metaphors or the best editors in the class. Allow this list to grow as students grow in their writing abilities. Next, call on students to use their unique abilities to mentor and support other students during peer conferencing and writers’ studio. For example, if a one of your students shares that he is working on a poem and needs help with his sensory language, request that the metaphor expert (Javier) conference with the student. Call out the students’ abilities and ask them to use their skills in authentic writing opportunities.

Start the school year by engaging the students in a writing unit about their lives, their families, and their cultural backgrounds and practices (include languages, values, heritage, racial backgrounds, etc). Atwell describes using one thought-provoking activity called heart maps (Atwell, 2002) where students list or “mine” things, people and ideas they hold in their heart. Atwell suggests asking questions like “What has stayed in your heart? What memories, moments, people, animals, objects, places, books, fears, scars, friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, teachers, other people, journeys, secrets, dreams, crushes, relationships, comforts, learning experiences are in your heart? What’s in the center of your heart? What’s at the edges of your heart? What’s in your heart? As students identify topics important to them and their lives, they are encouraged to begin writing about those ideas in their writers’ notebook. Jotting down thoughts or images that come mind as they think about who they are as a human and a member of their family and community. For every topic and idea, students should be given time to talk about their lives with others- to share, laugh, celebrate and take risks. As a teacher, you must discuss guidelines for such sharing and compliment students who take risks outside of their comfort zone.

Throughout the year, invite students to develop pieces (usually starting with personal narratives or stories) about their lives and their interests. Continue to name and position your students as writers in your classroom and create authentic opportunities for them to write and publish their writing. See more about creating authentic writing opportunities for your students.

References
Atwell, N. (2002). Lessons that change writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Norton, B. (2013). Investment, identity and language learning. TESOL Blog http://blog.tesol.org/investment-identity-and-language-learning/