#5 - The Writing Coach Experience

    Being in the position where I have the skills that certify me to be a writing coach, is not something that I take lightly. I have had the amazing opportunity to not only be a writing coach for this class, but also for SPARK. SPARK is an early literacy program for Elementary students, dedicated to getting students on or above grade level. Beyond this class and SPARK, I have also had the chance to be a writing coach on a less academic/official level for my friends throughout high school. Therefore, I've found the ability to be a writing coach one that I enjoy, but also something that I have had to continually improve on.

    Something that I have observed throughout my various experiences of being a writing coach, is that students need support both to stay motivated and to believe that they can succeed. Though redirection, corrections, and suggestions are necessary when coaching students, those tools need to be used intentionally. That way, a writing coach can better guide a student, rather than just telling them what to write or how to write it. This also ensures that students have the creative freedom to write, allowing for ideas to flow without fear of being rejected or denied. From peers, I think that writers also require that sense of freedom. If a writer feels they have the freedom and safe space to explore ideas, make mistakes, and expand on their writing they can have space to grow as a writer. This concept is evident within chapter five of The 9 Rights of Every Writer by Vicki Spandel in which she states, "Fear of failure increases stress and minimizes willingness to take chances. Without risk, it is nearly impossible to grow as a writer" (63). Essentially, if a writer doesn't feel connected/safe with their coach or peers, the chances of them improving is lessened. Which is why a teacher, coach, peer, and so on have to work together in order to create that healthy and/or safe environment for writers to flourish.

  

 One resource that I think could be beneficial for novice writers (or any writer) would be thesaurus.com. Though it is such a simple tool, I find it to be great for brainstorming, expanding vocabulary, and improving the effectiveness of a text. In fact, I still find myself using this resource to this day! 

With that being said, through my experience of being a writing coach and having many writing coaches, I have learned a lot. And through each student and writing coach I encounter, I hope to continue learning.