As I mentioned in my last post, I believe that many of my students observe the practice of writing and actually write from a very self-critical space. When they first entered my classroom and we began a discourse to determine what makes someone a writer, and what makes their writing good, my students shared opinions that all had something to do with “inherent talent” or “unattainable skill.” Somehow, my students have come to the conclusion that being a writer is firmly linked to one’s success/love of English classes, and that if you’re not a good writer by the time you reach college, you’ll never be.

If I were to dissect my students’ thought processes and motivations when it comes to “writing,” (in their minds—freewriting, essays, projects) I believe I would find that many of them lack self confidence when they’re writing, and most of them struggle to find any remote pleasure from writing assignments. At the beginning of every workshop, my students turn to their partner and discredit the work they’ve done with some saying like “I’m sorry this sucks” or “Mine is terrible” even though I’ve watched them put a great deal of time and effort into their projects. I can’t help but think that these statements are at the back of their minds when they write; instead of taking the time to analyze their writing processes, or thinking through what might be the best/most exciting way to approach a project topic or question, my students are at the mercy of their own degrading mantras-you’re not a writer, you’re not good at writing. They begin with negativity and remain firmly rooted within it.

How does one go about restructuring such a negative thought pattern? Most of my students have been laboring under these limiting thoughts/beliefs for 18 years, and from what I’ve come to understand after reading their literacy narratives, they have plenty of experiences that “justify” their assumptions about writing. English 101 definitely has the curriculum and potential to teach students how to write successfully across genres/mediums, but I always feel as though I’m coming up short when I try to get students to enjoy their writing projects. I’ve tried validating these negative experiences they have regarding writing and then showing them how that’s simply one experience, I’ve provided them with creative outlets to try and engage through personal work, I’ve asked them to write about their passions and interests without focusing so much on the “writing element” to see if they might respond more positively to writing if the approach is less structured. They’re just so firmly rooted in self-depricating beliefs and practices; it’s challenging to show students that they can be successful writers when we’re working against years of negative experiences and lack of interest.