Who Writes the Rule Book Anyway?

The name of the chapter I read in the book, "The Workshop Approach", was called, "Who Writes the Rule Book Anyway?" WHAT A GREAT CHAPTER.

Aristotle often is attributed with speaking on matters of writing.  He is revered as this great thinker from whom we pull our ideas, and, indirectly, our systems.  He spoke of writing with purpose, and according to audience.  Over the years, however, we strayed farther and farther away from that simplicity.  We devised modes of writing, focused on rhetoric and grammar, and submitted ideas for different kinds of writing like explanatory, expository, narrative, etc.

As a general population of English teachers, we've been clinging on to this idea that we need to stress these particular, segregated components.  As my other content reading as expanded into areas of vocabulary and grammar, I am just now seeing the importance of blending the skills together.  As long as we keep audience, purpose, and meaning in mind while constructing, we are free to write.  Skills pertaining to grammar, rhetoric, and vocabulary come with practice and implementation.

I like the following sentence: "Too many teachers, like their ancient predecessors, view genres as rigid structures that must be learned precisely and then never violated if writing is to be coherent, organized, and effective.  Too many believe that...teaching writing means insisting on formal correctness..." (13).

"Never violated" sounds like it would breech creativity and could stump individual students.  As this author suggests, we cannot hold to that idea that formality is rule.  It's a process, and, moreso, a SKILL.  Skills are strengthened with practice and reflection.

This chapter also commented on how teachers are teaching concepts like the five-paragraph essay because of tests and specific curriculum.  The chapter argues that students need to be taught the skills, and the results will follow.