Disorderly Contexts: ELAC Conference 2024

Standardized writing exams can become a key feature in the language arts classroom. Teachers are understandably tempted to ensure students' success on these exams by teaching "tried and true" forms that then become portable, transferrable, and the formidable answer to nearly every writing task. However, this actually decreases students' confidence and authentic writing skill. In order to reacquaint students with their own writing voices, we need to shift to writing practices, rather than writing products. This session will offer several engaging classroom practices that treat writing as an enjoyable activity rather than a necessary school chore. Participants are asked to bring their own writing materials (notebook and pen) as there will be chances to 'try out' several writing practices during the session.