Improvised Writing

                I read a blog from the link in the syllabus by Lauren Esposito called “More than Just Laughs: Building Stronger Writers Through Improv Comedy.” I like how she said that teachers and parents should be a student’s side coaches. I thought to myself isn’t a coach usually someone who tells you how to play maybe we need a cheerleader. Then I thought but cheerleaders do not usually know the game or strategic ways to play a game; they just cheer you on whether right or wrong. The metaphor of a side coach came from the term used in improv comedy but I made a connection to sport coaches and how the goal a coach has for their players is to win and often giving the players advice on how to win or be a better player.  Esposito says: “Just as side-coaches work alongside actors to develop scenes, we can work alongside young writers as they develop ideas for writing, including narrative writing and other kinds of writing that pose arguments, persuade, and inform.” I like that she said working alongside young writers as they develop ideas for writing instead of saying giving young writers ideas for writing. I assume that Esposito is saying what Christensen often talks about when she says that we should allow young writers to write in their voices but help them be skillful when doing so.

                Esposito’s idea about writing is closer to creative writing than anything else. She has this idea that making writing fun helps the creative juices flow and the result can be something new every time. Esposito talks about a tool that improvisers use called yes to use with students when they come up with a different idea. She says that when a student is told yes it helps build enough confidence and eliminates self-doubt and avoids quick judgement. Esposito believes that from a new creative idea can become the start of a good plot for a story, an argument, or a claim. I love when she says: “Your goal is to allow each statement to spark a new thought without evaluating immediately how valid or relevant it is.” Esposito’s classroom is clearly student centered and I love how creative she is in her classroom allowing students to push their creativity out. I guarantee that her students have so much fun that they do not even notice. That takes me back to the beginning of the semester when we talked about our writing experience and earliest memory. When students have fun writing they will associate writing to being something good instead of dreading the idea of writing. Isn’t that what teaching writing is about?