The writing that I have done for this blog is unlike anything I have written in quite some time.  As I progressed through my academic career, my writing became increasingly academic.  Research papers and book reviews consumed nearly all of the time I spent writing.  I enjoy all writing, including the academic writing I have become accustom to, but writing in this class and for this blog has taken me back to more personal writing that I used to do.  This writing asks me to look at myself and what I believe, how I want to express myself.  I do not feel as if I am just writing for a grade, which I sometimes do in my history courses.

My writing process begins with brainstorming.  Once I have a prompt, I usually am thinking about it for at least a day or two.  I come up with ideas sometimes seemingly randomly, and other times I see or hear of something that strikes a chord which usually sparks the best ideas.  Once I have an idea, I sit down at my computer and I just run with it.  Rarely will I stop mid-way through an assignment.  I like to have it all down, but as my writing progresses, I will go back and change things.  Most of my editing occurs as I go, but with these assignments I have been revisiting my writing.  By revisiting my writing I can determine if I really like what I wrote.  If I still believe what I wrote, I know it is good, but if I do not understand something or just do not like the way it sounds, I delete it or try and reword it.

The three assignments included in my portfolio are “About Me,” a profile of one my classmates, and an op-ed piece “Heroin in my Hometown.”  The first two were fun to write, they forced me to get to know myself better, and get to know someone I may have not otherwise known.  Both the assignments were in a sense a look into my life, which normally I would shy away from.  I usually do not like sharing my work with anyone who was not intended to read it, which is typically everybody except the teacher.  These assignments have forced me to share about my life and my writing and be willing to receive feedback.  Thus far it has been nothing but a positive experience.  The op-ed piece is my most proud piece.  It is something that hits close to home, literally.  When I read it, over and over, I think that it is some of my better writing.  It is not the longest, nor is it loaded with research and statistics, but it is real and I believe impactful.

As a writer myself, and future teacher of writers, I believe that writing allows people to express their thoughts in ways that they may not be able to otherwise.  To be a strong writer one must practice.  Any writing can help students to learn and it is important that students are able to write in diverse settings.  Low-stakes writing assignments, reflective writing, and academic writing all help students to learn.  That is my ultimate goal, to learn and to help students learn, and in my experience writing can play a significant role in that process.