If I am going to be honest, I have never really liked writing, or at least free writing. I am a scientist and so first person writing is something I find really difficult. I don’t like to put an I or me to my opinion. I like writing when it’s in the form of evidence that supports my opinion. The writing I am most proud of is my master’s thesis. I did original research. I got to look at something no one else has before. It was exhilarating. The writing seemed to pour out of the research and came to me very easily. I really did all the writing the night before my adviser wanted it. It seems that, that has always been my process. I am not a big fan of drafting and drafting until it’s perfect. Most times,  I like what I said the first time around and often do my drafting as I go. I find that still to be true. I am a procrastinator at my core and my writing is no different. I can really remember only one time where I did not write the whole paper the night before it was due. While this class has shown me why we should draft, it has not changed my process. Maybe I am just too stuck in my ways.

This course has made me acknowledge my relationship with writing, something I often overlook. I love science writing and despise everything else. My goals going forward are to adventure outside my comfort zone and to create a voice for myself where I feel confident saying I or me. My goal is to take off my lab coat and goggles every once in a while and write using my regular voice, not just my science one.

The “6 Things About Me” assignment forced me to do just that. You cannot write about yourself without saying I or me. The assignment showed me I do have a voice outside of science; one that is actually really relaxed. My classmates, Vincent, Anthony, and Mark, helped me narrow done which facts to elaborate on and I took it from there. The “6 Things About Me” allowed me to share things about without getting to personal. I was able to share about the things I love most and could have easily gone past 6.

The “Profile of a Classmate” was quite different. In an interview like we did, there isn’t much room for your own voice as a writer. Instead, the interview takes the tone of the interviewee. I interviewed Vince. We bounced questions off of one another, worked through our answers, and edited our pieces together. We worked together to ensure what we wrote truly reflected the interviewee and their beliefs which made the writing process run smoothly for this piece. I was able to get to know Vince much better through this piece, as I am sure he got to know more about me too.

The “Op-Ed” piece allowed me to go back to my roots. I chose a topic near and dear to my heart that was a continuation of my thesis. I got to write about my thesis, but without my lab coat. The science goggles may have stayed on, but the tone was more relaxed then my typical science writing is. This assignment allowed me step out of my comfort zone, while still remaining relatively close. I missed class when we started this assignment, so none of my classmates got to help my along my journey but I was lucky enough to read Christine’s piece. In reading her piece I was able to see what an Op-Ed looks like when the writer is extremely comfortable in their voice, style, and opinions. The difference between an English major and a Science major became very clear.

Moving forward, as a teacher-writer, I am able to recognize my own faults. I am most comfortable when writing in a more rigid scientific tone. In my lessons and planning I hope to incorporate a variety of writing prompts so students do not see all science writing as rigid. I want to show students there is a time and place for I and me in science writing and that opinions are not always bad. Creativity in science is allowed and in my classroom, encouraged. My goal is to create fun, engaging writing prompts that allow students to see themselves as scientist and truly explore. Every writer has a different voice and style and I hope to encourage students to find theirs in a science setting.