About book Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, And Clarity In High School Writing (2008)
I cried at the end of this book about the teaching of writing, that's how good it is. Because it's really about more than teaching writing, it's about showing kids the power, joy, and beauty of writing, and then inviting them into that world. Two of my favorite quotes, "If I've brought a student to a place where writing answers something inside and brings solace to a wound so deep, I've done my work." And "What is writing for? What do we teach and why? It can't only be for next year-or college-or the April test. Sometimes it is for now: a path through dark days. " English friends: read this book!!! Kittle provides a great introduction to the idea of Writer's Workshop. While most books about Writer's Workshop are written for the elementary or middle school teacher, Kittle provides a great example of how to run a Writer's Workshop on the secondary level. She is very inspiring, and even provides a DVD with sample student texts and sample organizational tools for grading different types of writing. I gave this text four stars rather than five stars because I don't think that Kittle leaves any room for book discussions or literary analysis in her method. She herself teaches a writing workshop class, so she doesn't have to adhere to any particular standards or testing. As a result, most of her methods are creative in practice. This book would be more useful if she gave more specific ways to organize the writer's notebook and teach critical thinking skills.
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Kittle's writing style and philosophy make for both interesting and enlightening reading.
—neonpumaxxdd22
Sigh. Why can't I just BE Penny Kittle?
—kaelicecchetto
