Nancie Atwell and the Development of Teaching Practices

The thing that struck me most about Atwell’s story was her commitment to being a lifelong learner in order to continually serve her students in the most effective way possible. By describing herself initially as a “creationist,” it seems that Atwell was very independent of her colleagues and had the unrealistic goal of creating her own curriculum and using it as an exemplar for others. Atwell was undoubtedly ambitious, but was misguided in her initial goals and ideas about the profession. It is only through the input of both colleagues and her students that Atwell came to refine her teaching process and really break through to the students.

It seems that Atwell really made a breakthrough with her teaching when she says that “students can’t be the only learners in a classroom. Teachers have to learn, too" (p. 9) This relates to Peterson’s notions about freedom in writing; advocating for some structure and guidance in writing, but allowing students to express their ideas in a variety of different writing forms. When Atwell takes the time to discuss the curriculum with the students and allow them to choose the direction of their writing projects, she makes a genuine breakthrough with them. This democratic form of teaching provides students with more power over their own learning and writing. 

In adjusting her practices, Atwell further exemplifies the ideas set forth by Peterson in her use of mini lessons and one-on-one conferences. Through these short and focused lessons, Atwell retains authority over the classroom, but allows her students sufficient time to write on their own. Peterson states that it is important to provide these mini lessons as they give students necessary information to progress as they face new steps in the learning process. He also advocates for one-on-one conferences because it allows the teacher and student to share ideas without having the student’s writing made public to the entire class. As Atwell develops her approach to teaching she adopts many of Peterson’s ideas about teaching writing. 

Ultimately, Atwell comes to take on a position of being a guide for the students. Atwell provides mini lessons and conferences to ensure students are receiving the knowledge and feedback necessary for improvement and progression in their writing, but gives them the freedom to explore different forms and concepts relevant to their own interests. Atwell only arrives at this through a commitment to her own development as a learner. Atwell continuously states that she was always “beginning again” when she set forth new practices in her classroom, but she was really just committing herself to constantly trying new things rather than being complacent in her teaching philosophy. At the end of the article she talks about “responding to the kids” which is crucial to teaching any discipline. Different groups of students will learn in different ways and it is the responsibility of teachers to be adaptable. Atwell’s success as an educator can be attributed to her commitment to her own learning and growth.