Nurturing the Whole Learner in an Inquiry-Rich Environment
Tend your Garden - Nurturing Motivation in Young Adolescent Writers - Mary Anna Kruch
Mary Anna Kruch [+ ]
Freelance Writer
Mary Anna Kruch (BA, MA & PhD Michigan State University) is a full-time writer, having taught young adolescents for thirty years. Following retirement from classroom teaching and literacy coaching, she was an Assistant Professor at Grand Valley State University, where she taught writing, children’s literature, and literacy methods classes to pre-service teachers. Kruch is a former officer in the Michigan Council of Teachers of English and an active fellow in the Red Cedar Writing Project, affiliated with the National Writing Project, at Michigan State University. Kruch has also facilitated a long-standing writing group as well as advanced institutes for teacher consultants.
Description
I present a sample unit that directly addresses learners’ needs and nurtures their motivation to write, and I argue for teaching young emotional needs – and plans for students’ active involvement and future success – all of which are keys to motivating writing. I present a sample unit that directly addresses learners’ needs and nurtures their motivation to write, and I argue for teaching young adolescent writers by means of a progressive, learner-centered approach to best nurture their writing growth. Finally, I review national writing initiatives in support of a traditional, more strictly curriculum-centered approach and point out the mismatch in its use with young adolescent writers.