Why Every Teacher is a Writing Teacher

Let’s be honest. In the U.S. workforce, it is rare that an employee is asked to write an essay about the symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” or Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” But almost everyone must write emails, financial reports, blog posts, case studies, white papers, speeches, brochures or press releases. And yes, they are even asked to write for social media platforms.

Because future workers will be expected to write in so many different styles, forms and voices, it is imperative that they develop the ability to express themselves confidently and compellingly early on in their education. In addition to perfecting their essay writing skills for their English classes, students should be taught to write for a wide variety of formats and needs. Sharp writing skills are more important than ever, yet national test scores show that we are not adequately preparing students for even basic writing skills, not to mention the level of writing that students will need to demonstrate in the real world.

Today, writing and teaching writing is often limited to English class. This can no longer be the case, which is why Common Core ELA-Literacy standards include writing practice in other subject areas. Just as students are expected to read for science and social studies classes, they should be expected to write for those classes, too. By incorporating writing into their classes, non-English Language Arts teachers can help students become confident and flexible writers.

Not every teacher will be comfortable teaching writing, but the rewards are too great to be ignored. Teachers in all content areas can offer practice in writing a variety of formats, lengths, purposes, and for a variety of audiences. Grammar and mechanics can stay safely in writing assignments for English Language Arts class, but voice, theme, tone, format, audience, organization, and content can and should be a focus in every classroom. Writing and reading are similar in that the more students do, the better they get. Writing throughout the school day benefits everyone.

By focusing on cohesive arguments and organized ideas, we are encouraging students to become better thinkers and express themselves clearly. Moreover, this approach helps students develop their ideas—and thus their writing—by redirecting the emphasis of grading away from mechanical errors and toward the growth of ideas and perspectives.

Asking non-English teachers to incorporate more writing into their lesson plan may sound daunting, but it’s more doable than we think. The result will be more versatile and effective writers and communicators in the workplace. Down the line, future employers will no doubt value these important and transferable skills.