Three Unorthodox Prewriting Activities for Writing Classes

By Patrick T. Randolph

Introduction

I think it is safe to assume most writing instructors intrinsically love writing and hope to imbue that same sense of passion, intrigue, and wonder in their own students. Additionally, I believe that if we enter the classroom with a similar passion, intrigue, and sense of wonder, we can cheerfully inspire our students to develop a love for writing. It is, of course, easier said than done. How, one may ask, can I ignite that flame, kindle that spark to get my students interested in their writing and interested in improving it? In an attempt to address this question, I will offer three unorthodox prewriting activities that have significantly helped my own students develop a unique relationship with writing.

Before moving on, I find it important to briefly explain my notion of a prewriting activity. My interpretation of the term is a literal one, for I define a prewriting activity as one that is done before any actual writing begins. The traditional view of prewriting activities conjures up terms like free writing, clustering, and outlining. However, if we research current discoveries in neuroscience, we understand the aforementioned are actual elements or even products of the writing process; these activities “become integral parts of the product and are not limited merely to the preparation” (Randolph, 2017, para. 2).

My idea, then, of a prewriting activity is one that helps facilitate the optimal conditions for a productive writing class, and my three unorthodox prewriting activities include: (1) physical exercise (for the body and the brain), (2) mindfulness practice (for awareness and attention), and (3) personifying the craft of writing (for emotional engagement). Let us now survey each of these activities.

1. Physical Exercise – Preparing the Brain

The fundamental need to simultaneously move and learn is a common idea supported by both neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Ratey and Hagerman (2010) claim that “[l]earning and memory evolved in concert with the motor functions that allowed our ancestors to track down food, so as far as our brains are concerned, if we’re not moving, there’s no real need to learn anything” (p. 53). Medina’s (2014) research on exercise and learning has shown similar results; according to him, the brain has essentially developed in order to problem solve and help us survive in a changing environment. To accomplish this successfully, however, the brain needs to be in motion just as it has been for the past 200,000 years.

Why, then, are English language learners not exercising as a pivotal prewriting activity? I personally feel physical exercise is one of the most important prewriting activities there is. Before each class begins, my students and I do simplified tai-chi, run or walk moderately in the hall, do jumping jacks, or run in place for two or three minutes in the classroom (see my video, “Patrick T. Randolph's Exercise for the Brain,” for an example).

Using physical exercise as a prewriting activity has been a very effective tool. My students claim it helps them become more creative, focus more on writing, and clear their minds so that their ideas are more coherent and organized. From a physiological perspective, this makes complete sense. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and within this blood there is an increased amount of oxygen and crucial neurotransmitters that help the brain focus, learn, and recall information (Ratey & Hagerman, 2010). In short, the best way to start a writing class is with a sense of heightened awareness and a willingness to perform, and exercise promotes just that.

2. Mindfulness – Preparing the Mind

The second activity I employ and would encourage other teachers to practice is the craft of mindfulness. So that my readers are clear on this concept, I will use Kabat-Zinn’s definition because he is responsible for resurrecting the modern concept of mindfulness and how we use it. Kabat-Zinn (1994) describes mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality” (p. 4). Mindfulness, like exercise, fosters a concentrated state of self-awareness and a consciousness of the immediate environment, which prepares students to think and write with an enhanced focus.

The method I employ consists of the following routine. First, as a class, we stand and I ask the students to relax their bodies, take a deep breath, and smile. Some students relax their bodies by lightly stretching their arms, others twist their bodies a bit and walk in place, and the spirited ones jump up and down and dance. Next, I request that the students close their eyes and focus on their feet and toes. I ask that they concentrate on how their feet and toes make contact with the floor. We, then, move methodically up the body. I have the students focus on the presence of their legs, hips, and then their upper body—their arms, hands, fingers, chest, neck and head. We concentrate a moment on being aware of the whole body, how it feels, and then pay attention to their breathing, being mindful of how the breaths enter and exit their nose or mouth. Then, together as a class, we all take one deep breath together.

I often combine the physical exercises with the mindfulness routine, as they nicely complement each other; and, both provide a powerful segue from the prewriting activity to the actual class. Like the exercises, students have frequently commented on the benefits of mindfulness. Many have said that it creates:

(1) a unique and spirited classmate community,
(2) moments of important and insightful self-reflection, and
(3) an atmosphere to help focus on thinking and writing clearly (Randolph, 2017).

3. Personifying the Craft – Preparing the Heart

In order to inspire the use of emotions as a powerful learning device and foster a positive energy in the classroom, I teach or “coach” my writers with Plato’s philosophy of education; that is, “[w]e must make learning fun” (trans. Sterling & Scott, 537a). Similar to exercise and mindfulness, creating and harnessing positive emotions nurture a comfortable environment and motivate my students to write and learn to love to write.

To minimize stress and optimize a healthy environment, I ask my students on the first day of the semester to accept writing not merely as an activity, but as a real, live, intimate “friend.” I further explain they need not promise their hearts to Writing, but if they can develop a respect and appreciation for him or her, then their academic lives will be much more enjoyable. To this end, I created the following prewriting activity for my writing classes.

First, I ask my students to close their eyes and imagine Writing not as an activity, but as a real, living, breathing person—that is, Writing will henceforth become a real man or woman. Conjuring up a personal image of Writing may be challenging for some, so I encourage the students to think about someone in their past or present who they are comfortable with or someone who they trust or respect. This could be a parent, sibling, spouse, relative, former teacher, coach, or even someone the students met in passing that had a profound influence on them.

I, then, ask the students to hold this newly created image in their mind’s eye and imagine the following: Writing is knocking on the classroom door, opening it, walking into the room, and sitting down next to you with a smile. Next, I have the students keep their eyes closed and imagine the physical characteristics and then the personality traits of their new muse. After giving them a few minutes to imagine what their friend, Writing, looks like, I have the students share their visual character sketch with their neighbors. As a homework assignment, I ask the students to write their visual character sketch of Writing down as their first entry in their “Dialog with Writing Journal.”

This is a journal where the students are required to ask one to two questions per week to their friend, Writing, about various techniques, issues, or insights concerning the writing process. The students, then, answer these questions from the perspective of their friend once the answers have become clear. Some example questions are:

How can I learn to be concise and yet give details when necessary?

Aren’t both “showing” and “telling” important in academic writing?

In short, the journal becomes a weekly question-and-answer dialog between the students and Writing. As a prewriting writing activity, I ask the students at the beginning of each week to think about the question they want to ask Writing, and also think how that question can be answered. The strength of their answers, of course, will develop with time. In some instances, students might want to revise previous responses to their questions.

The benefits of this personification activity are three-fold. First, as Writing becomes an intimate friend, the actual craft of writing becomes more concrete and personal. Second, this created muse naturally develops into the students’ personal reader or audience as the semester progresses. And third, the journal essentially becomes a student-created guidebook for writers that the students can take with them and use after completing the course.

Concluding Remarks

Writing, perhaps more than any other language skill, requires a great deal of focus, practice, and discipline. As a consequence, it often ushers in a sense of fear, anxiety, and stress. These negative emotions, however, can quickly be put to rest if we approach writing with these simple yet unorthodox prewriting activities. Physical exercise, mindfulness, and the personification of writing can not only make the craft of writing less daunting, but turn it into a journey they can embrace and celebrate.

References

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are. New York, NY: MJF Books.

Medina, J. (2014). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.

Randolph, P. T. (2017). Tapping into discoveries from neuroscience to help ELLs in the prewriting process. CATESOL News, 49(2).

Ratey, J. J., & Hagerman, E. (2010). Spark! How exercise will improve the performance of your brain. London, England: Quercus.

Image from www.pixabay.com
A version of this article first appeared in TESOL’s SLW News.

Patrick T. Randolph specializes in vocabulary acquisition, creative and academic writing, speech, and debate. Patrick was awarded the “Best of the TESOL Affiliates” in 2017 for his 2016 presentation on plagiarism. He has also received two “Best of CoTESOL Awards” for his 2017 and 2018 presentations on observation journals and creative writing. Patrick lives with his wife, Gamze; daughter, Aylene; and cat, Gable, in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.


Three Unorthodox Prewriting Activities for Writing Classes By Patrick T. Randolph Introduction I think it is safe to assume most writing instructors intrinsically love writing and hope to imbue that same sense of passion, intrigue, and wonder in their own students. Additionally, I believe that if we enter the classroom with a similar passion, intrigue, and sense of wonder, we can cheerfully inspire our students to develop a love for writing. It is, of course, easier said than done. How, one may ask, can I ignite that flame, kindle that spark to get my students interested in their writing and interested in improving it? In an attempt to address this question, I will offer three unorthodox prewriting activities that have significantly helped my own students develop a unique relationship with writing. Before moving on, I find it important to briefly explain my notion of a prewriting activity. My interpretation of the term is a literal one, for I define a prewriting activity as one that is done before any actual writing begins. The traditional view of prewriting activities conjures up terms like free writing, clustering, and outlining. However, if we research current discoveries in neuroscience, we understand the aforementioned are actual elements or even products of the writing process; these activities “become integral parts of the product and are not limited merely to the preparation” (Randolph, 2017, para. 2). My idea, then, of a prewriting activity is one that helps facilitate the optimal conditions for a productive writing class, and my three unorthodox prewriting activities include: (1) physical exercise (for the body and the brain), (2) mindfulness practice (for awareness and attention), and (3) personifying the craft of writing (for emotional engagement). Let us now survey each of these activities. 1. Physical Exercise – Preparing the Brain The fundamental need to simultaneously move and learn is a common idea supported by both neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Ratey and Hagerman (2010) claim that “[l]earning and memory evolved in concert with the motor functions that allowed our ancestors to track down food, so as far as our brains are concerned, if we’re not moving, there’s no real need to learn anything” (p. 53). Medina’s (2014) research on exercise and learning has shown similar results; according to him, the brain has essentially developed in order to problem solve and help us survive in a changing environment. To accomplish this successfully, however, the brain needs to be in motion just as it has been for the past 200,000 years. Why, then, are English language learners not exercising as a pivotal prewriting activity? I personally feel physical exercise is one of the most important prewriting activities there is. Before each class begins, my students and I do simplified tai-chi, run or walk moderately in the hall, do jumping jacks, or run in place for two or three minutes in the classroom (see my video, “Patrick T. Randolph's Exercise for the Brain,” for an example). Using physical exercise as a prewriting activity has been a very effective tool. My students claim it helps them become more creative, focus more on writing, and clear their minds so that their ideas are more coherent and organized. From a physiological perspective, this makes complete sense. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and within this blood there is an increased amount of oxygen and crucial neurotransmitters that help the brain focus, learn, and recall information (Ratey & Hagerman, 2010). In short, the best way to start a writing class is with a sense of heightened awareness and a willingness to perform, and exercise promotes just that. 2. Mindfulness – Preparing the Mind The second activity I employ and would encourage other teachers to practice is the craft of mindfulness. So that my readers are clear on this concept, I will use Kabat-Zinn’s definition because he is responsible for resurrecting the modern concept of mindfulness and how we use it. Kabat-Zinn (1994) describes mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality” (p. 4). Mindfulness, like exercise, fosters a concentrated state of self-awareness and a consciousness of the immediate environment, which prepares students to think and write with an enhanced focus. The method I employ consists of the following routine. First, as a class, we stand and I ask the students to relax their bodies, take a deep breath, and smile. Some students relax their bodies by lightly stretching their arms, others twist their bodies a bit and walk in place, and the spirited ones jump up and down and dance. Next, I request that the students close their eyes and focus on their feet and toes. I ask that they concentrate on how their feet and toes make contact with the floor. We, then, move methodically up the body. I have the students focus on the presence of their legs, hips, and then their upper body—their arms, hands, fingers, chest, neck and head. We concentrate a moment on being aware of the whole body, how it feels, and then pay attention to their breathing, being mindful of how the breaths enter and exit their nose or mouth. Then, together as a class, we all take one deep breath together. I often combine the physical exercises with the mindfulness routine, as they nicely complement each other; and, both provide a powerful segue from the prewriting activity to the actual class. Like the exercises, students have frequently commented on the benefits of mindfulness. Many have said that it creates: (1) a unique and spirited classmate community, (2) moments of important and insightful self-reflection, and (3) an atmosphere to help focus on thinking and writing clearly (Randolph, 2017). 3. Personifying the Craft – Preparing the Heart In order to inspire the use of emotions as a powerful learning device and foster a positive energy in the classroom, I teach or “coach” my writers with Plato’s philosophy of education; that is, “[w]e must make learning fun” (trans. Sterling & Scott, 537a). Similar to exercise and mindfulness, creating and harnessing positive emotions nurture a comfortable environment and motivate my students to write and learn to love to write. To minimize stress and optimize a healthy environment, I ask my students on the first day of the semester to accept writing not merely as an activity, but as a real, live, intimate “friend.” I further explain they need not promise their hearts to Writing, but if they can develop a respect and appreciation for him or her, then their academic lives will be much more enjoyable. To this end, I created the following prewriting activity for my writing classes. First, I ask my students to close their eyes and imagine Writing not as an activity, but as a real, living, breathing person—that is, Writing will henceforth become a real man or woman. Conjuring up a personal image of Writing may be challenging for some, so I encourage the students to think about someone in their past or present who they are comfortable with or someone who they trust or respect. This could be a parent, sibling, spouse, relative, former teacher, coach, or even someone the students met in passing that had a profound influence on them. I, then, ask the students to hold this newly created image in their mind’s eye and imagine the following: Writing is knocking on the classroom door, opening it, walking into the room, and sitting down next to you with a smile. Next, I have the students keep their eyes closed and imagine the physical characteristics and then the personality traits of their new muse. After giving them a few minutes to imagine what their friend, Writing, looks like, I have the students share their visual character sketch with their neighbors. As a homework assignment, I ask the students to write their visual character sketch of Writing down as their first entry in their “Dialog with Writing Journal.” This is a journal where the students are required to ask one to two questions per week to their friend, Writing, about various techniques, issues, or insights concerning the writing process. The students, then, answer these questions from the perspective of their friend once the answers have become clear. Some example questions are: How can I learn to be concise and yet give details when necessary? Aren’t both “showing” and “telling” important in academic writing? In short, the journal becomes a weekly question-and-answer dialog between the students and Writing. As a prewriting writing activity, I ask the students at the beginning of each week to think about the question they want to ask Writing, and also think how that question can be answered. The strength of their answers, of course, will develop with time. In some instances, students might want to revise previous responses to their questions. The benefits of this personification activity are three-fold. First, as Writing becomes an intimate friend, the actual craft of writing becomes more concrete and personal. Second, this created muse naturally develops into the students’ personal reader or audience as the semester progresses. And third, the journal essentially becomes a student-created guidebook for writers that the students can take with them and use after completing the course. Concluding Remarks Writing, perhaps more than any other language skill, requires a great deal of focus, practice, and discipline. As a consequence, it often ushers in a sense of fear, anxiety, and stress. These negative emotions, however, can quickly be put to rest if we approach writing with these simple yet unorthodox prewriting activities. Physical exercise, mindfulness, and the personification of writing can not only make the craft of writing less daunting, but turn it into a journey they can embrace and celebrate. References Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are. New York, NY: MJF Books. Medina, J. (2014). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Seattle, WA: Pear Press. Randolph, P. T. (2017). Tapping into discoveries from neuroscience to help ELLs in the prewriting process. CATESOL News, 49(2). Ratey, J. J., & Hagerman, E. (2010). Spark! How exercise will improve the performance of your brain. London, England: Quercus. Image from www.pixabay.com A version of this article first appeared in TESOL’s SLW News. Patrick T. Randolph specializes in vocabulary acquisition, creative and academic writing, speech, and debate. Patrick was awarded the “Best of the TESOL Affiliates” in 2017 for his 2016 presentation on plagiarism. He has also received two “Best of CoTESOL Awards” for his 2017 and 2018 presentations on observation journals and creative writing. Patrick lives with his wife, Gamze; daughter, Aylene; and cat, Gable, in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Fall 2019 - Fall 2019