When I write for School------------
Most of the time when I have a writing assignment, I totally clam up like you've seen in my first blog, lol. But writing for a class is totally a different ballgame than writing for myself. For school, I've always thought that one has to be prim and proper. Crossing your t's and doting your i's, with good proper grammar and making sure every period, comma, and semi-colon are properly used. I usually start off writing in a notebook--I buy dozens of 1 subject notebooks, and will grab a blank notebook to do all my papers' "rough draft" writing in that notebook. I look it over twice, make corrections, and then move on to my computer. While I'm typing it out, that's when I read aloud, correct mistakes and check spelling errors. Then I save it, and if it has to be handed in---then I print it. If I have some time, then I will sleep on it, and come back to it with a fresh perspective and a cup of coffee. Then walla it's done!! Before I actually write the masterpiece, I think it all in my head, that when I sit down in front of my one-subject notebook, my pen starts to write 100 miles per hour. I write faster than I type, that is why these blog assignments have been the greatest challenge yet! I just got a laptop computer, so I think my writing for school will take another turn just yet. I'm hoping it comes out when I sit in front of the laptop, just like right now...and everything will flow. But in the years past, that's how I've achieved my writing and improved my skills.
When I write for myself.....
I've kept journals since I was in the fourth grade. My fourth grade teacher who then became my fifth grade teacher was truly an inspiration for me. She taught us the importance of journals, and how journals play an important role in your life. For me journals have recorded my victories, my mishaps, my loses, my sad days and my history. The journals became an outlet for my emotions and the chaos that was going on around me as I grew up from a rebelious teenager to an accomplished individual. I've written poems, short essays, and other works from my journals. It's also been an outlet to free write and not worry about puctuation or proper grammar. My journals are pretty much like e-mail, very informal. I love to write for myself and I haven't done it in a while since I got married last year. My husband has been that outlet for my emotions, and I usually bounce back ideas from him. It's great to have, but I'm glad I took this class because I can get back to writing and the passion I use to have for it. I'm about to cry...that's how passionate writing was to me...and still is obviously. I have an associate's in journalism, and when I realized Benito was the Senior Editor for the campus newspaper, it brought back a bunch of memories when I was Senior Editor for the The Torch, Bergen Community College Newspaper. And everywhere I turned today, the campus paper was there...that's great, someone is doing a great job. Those memories were good memories--and that's the time I wrote for fun. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed my writing. Writing has become much like school work. I feel everytime I turn, every class needs an essay. And I spent my free time, thinking about what should be in that essay or when such assignment is due. But I'm glad I came to this course, it's pumped my heart to think about me and my writing again. Maybe I will start that journal for myself afterall. Maybe.
How does this benefit others in "Coaching"
I think in the process of writing for school we can lead other students to write proper for assignments and also to help them write free-hand for their pre-writing processes. We can get them thinking about their thoughts, their passions, aspirations, and how it can tie into their assignments. Many people run into a writer's block every once in a while. And us knowing what that feels like first hand would give us an opportunity to coach others through that mental block and get them to express their thoughts on paper or on a laptop, like I'm doing now. We can also share our experiences on writing and re-live the experiences we've had all over again, yet do something productive to teach and learn from the tutoring sessions. I've always thought tutoring was for the smartest people on the planet or you had to have a Ph.D. in a certain subject matter. But now I see that it's just theory and practice, and maybe, just maybe I too can tutor in a few months. I'm waiting to turn that page in my book, and I can't wait to journal it.
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