Reflections
How do you see yourself? How do you see your work? What doors does your writing open for you? What doors does your writing open for your reader?
This week my first year writing students and the Just Write Virtual Writing Group dug deeper into the stories that shape our identity and help form our personal values. This work continues our “What If” exploration of our personal values as part of the Morehead Writing Project‘s Building A More Perfect Union grant, Root Deep, Grow Tall and builds on our This I Believe American Creed work. This writing is part of the foundation for our rhetorical analysis work, but also provided inspiration to both groups of writers.
We drew inspiration from Doors opening, closing on us by Marge Piercy and the questions:
- What kind of door does your story open up?
- Who do you want to open that door and what do you hope they will find on the other side?
As my students wrapped up their rhetorical analysis essays, I asked them to consider the featured image above and write about which glass best represents your current status as the writer of a rhetorical analysis essay, but even if you are not writing a rhetorical analysis essay thinking about which glass best represents your life or your work can be an interesting writing invitation.
We also wrote reflections about ourselves as writers as my ungrading practice requires a reflection after each unit. We drew inspiration in two of my poems, an excerpt from The Oath of the Writing Teacher and You Are A Writer as well as A Writer’s Oath by Miguel Clark Mallet:
I pledge to walk the
writer’s slow, bewildered way:
drenched in words, seeking
patience, grace, humility,
gratitude, and ever joy.
Miguel Clark Mallet
When did you last reflect on yourself as a writer?
