WEDDED TO WRITING

By Marna Romeo

Key point: (1) Students’ self-perceptions have an important influence on learning, (2) Even people who are not good readers can begin to write, and they can be real authors who publish their work.

Jeff was in my group of struggling second-grade readers. Early in the year, they began writing, editing, and publishing. I anxiously watched for the improved self-esteem that my teacher education courses had taught me would result from the students being engaged in meaningful writing.

It wasn’t until late in the year that I saw the first results. In his latest book, Jeff had included an “About the Author” page in which he described himself as an “8-year-old author”. I was surprised at just how pleased I was by the fact that Jeff genuinely thought of himself as an author.

But my biggest surprise was yet to come. A few days later I ran into Jeff’s mother in the hall. She said that she had something she needed to tell me. Jeff, she said, had always wanted to be a priest when he grew up. However, recently he had asked her if authors could get married!