"The Popularity of Formulaic Writing" Reading Response

As I was looking over the California Common Core State Standards for writing I noticed that in the younger grades it is very specific as to what they should be able to do and how they should be able to do it.  Also, it seemed like it was more of their opinions.  Since they seem to mainly be writing about their opinion of books they read or narratives I think it would be fairly easy to get them interested.  The students could choose what they read and write narratives that will spark their creativity.  The meaningful experiences students will gain at this age are the very basics of their writing.  They will learn about opening sentences, concluding sentences and adding some opinion or commentary.

Wiley says, “I do not believe formulaic writing is the actual villain…. Rather it is the pedagogical blindness that formulaic writing leads to that disturbs me and that seems to be the real culprit”.  The example he focuses on for “formulaic writing” is the Jane Schaffer approach.  Although this approach will help students get the hang of how to write an essay and what parts need to be in an essay, they need to get rid of the “formula” at some point.  The article talked about this approach depleting the confusion, however, it doesn’t allow students to explore their “ideas, reactions, and interpretations.” He also talked about this “formula” making it easier for the teachers, but not necessarily helping the students.  He stated, “Formulaic writing short-circuits this discover process”.  Students are so focused on the “formula” of the essay that they forget to add creativity and that they don’t have to stick to this specific “formula” for everything; it’s just supposed to help them organize their thoughts and clear up any confusion.

             As I thought back on my education and writing specifically, I remember using similar “formulas” for almost every essay I wrote.  Most of my teachers focused on a certain “formula” when we were writing essays.  The problem I see with this now, looking back on it, is that we were never told that it’s okay to stray from this “formula”.  I remember always having to follow a specific “formula” and getting marked down if I was missing a commentary sentence, for example. The “formula writing” made me not like writing very much because it was very boring. This is exactly what Wiley was talking about shouldn’t happen.  The “formula” should be there if you get stuck or are confused, however, students should know that once they feel comfortable straying away from the “formula” they should do so.  Now that I’m in college professors don’t necessarily give you a “formula” to write with.  At first this was hard for me to get used to, but now I know that if I’m stuck I can use what I have learned in the past, however, I don’t have to.  It is nice not having to go by a “formula” now, but rather just having guidelines and I am able to explore my creativity more.