Writing Short Is Harder Than Writing Long

Most of my students would vehemently disagree with the statement that writing shorter is harder than writing longer. Most of them struggle with getting ideas, organizing them and then putting them onto paper in a coherent manner.

I’ve rarely had that problem. Ideas come easily, categories appear and the words flow on the the page. It’s what I’m good at. As we go though various processes, my students are getting better at this. I find myself struggling a bit more than usual.

My problem isn’t the writing though. It’s focusing on one thing, I have so much to say, I don’t know where to begin.

And then there is the fact that this is only my second year. Part of me thinks that I don’t know enough yet to have an opinion. Another part of me thinks that there are tons of other second year teachers out there who are going through the same things I am. And that if I don’t start now, I’m going to find myself being a fifth year or tenth year teacher who still isn’t blogging.

I might as well start now.

(And try to write short.)

Related topics: Reflective Teacher

About the author 

Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.

Michelle taught secondary ELA in public schools for 10 years. She served as an award-winning journalist before transitioning into education and is now Assistant Director of the OU Writing Center and a teacher consultant for the Oklahoma Writing Project. Michelle co-edited the Oklahoma English Journal for five years. She is a PhD candidate in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum at the University of Oklahoma. She started reThink ELA LLC as a teacher blog in 2012.

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