In the summer of 2012, I participated in the Summer Institute funding by the National Writing Project at my university. We explored writing as a social construction and also practiced our skills as writers, leaders, and inquirers in our teaching practice. It was a good preparation for teaching writing at the university level and also a great way to reflect on my previous teaching experiences and how I can adapt my practice to my newly emerging pedagogy. Writing is a process and a social construction.
In "On Writing," Stephen King recommends that writers complete the first draft with the door closed and the second draft with the door open. I would like to add there is a time to close the door and get down to business, and there is also a time for talking out a topic. It really helps to join a writer's community, and it really helps to open the door when a writer needs inspiration too. I personally prefer to talk out my ideas before closing the door too. I am learning to open up the door again for the second draft and my students have actually embraced peer revision workshops this year. This is a complete surprise to me, because usually most writer's are resistant to feedback, especially those who are insecure about their work. I prefer to think of a teacher's response as feedback and not constructive criticism. I hope that my students appreciate my responses, and I also believe that taking some of the grading out of the drafting process and involving peer groups in several phases of the writing process is a way to create, not just better writers, but a better writing community.