Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content
Earlier in my career teaching writing, I often found myself focusing on structure and style. It's important to have appropriate conventions, to make your writing move logically throughout its delivery, to consider the way you communicate your ideas.
But in considering the quality of a piece of writing, there is another factor that affects the outcome more: content.
Perhaps I found it easier to focus on structure and style because they seem more teachable. It is difficult, after all, to look at a student and say, "You need better ideas." (How do you scaffold better ideas?) So I can feel as if I'm doing my job when I help them consider ways to communicate the ideas they do have more clearly and intentionally. Ultimately, though, I always felt empty with this teaching focus. Writing would improve, but it was
But in considering the quality of a piece of writing, there is another factor that affects the outcome more: content.
Perhaps I found it easier to focus on structure and style because they seem more teachable. It is difficult, after all, to look at a student and say, "You need better ideas." (How do you scaffold better ideas?) So I can feel as if I'm doing my job when I help them consider ways to communicate the ideas they do have more clearly and intentionally. Ultimately, though, I always felt empty with this teaching focus. Writing would improve, but it was