Dear Younger Me,
I still remember you
standing in front of your first classroom, red pen in hand, determined to turn
every paper into perfection. You believed that correcting every mistake meant
you were doing your job well. But you did not realize yet that writing is not about perfection, it is about growth.
There was that story
a student wrote about his dog, full of heart, but tangled with errors. You
stayed up late fixing every one. The next day, his smile faded when he saw all
the red marks. That was when the lesson began, not for him, but for you.
Years later, you
would meet two small but mighty tools: ARMS
and CUPS. They would teach you
that revision is not about what is wrong, it is
about what can become stronger.
Through ARMS Add, Remove, Move, Substitute, you
learned to guide students in shaping their ideas before polishing them. You will teach them that real writers do not fear change; they embrace it.
Then CUPS Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling,
reminded you that editing comes after the ideas have bloomed. It is the stage
where students take pride in the details that make their work shine.
Over time, you would put
away the red pen and pick up a conversation instead. You will sit beside your
students, ask questions, and celebrate revisions. You will see confidence where
there once was hesitation.
If I could whisper one thing to you, dear
younger teacher, it would be this:
“Let them grow.
Writing, like teaching, is never finished, only revised, refined, and
rediscovered.”
With gratitude and grace,
Your Older Self
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ReplyDeleteHi Ariel,
ReplyDeleteYour blog post has intrigued me. The personal anecdote about the student whose smile faded at the sight of all those red marks is powerful, reminding us that correction alone is not supportive; care and conversation are vital.
The introduction of ARMS and CUPS as tools for distinguishing revision from editing aligns with themes from posts on my LitWritin'Blog, which emphasize that writing is a dynamic craft that grows over time. Much like the blog’s explorations, this post celebrates how guiding students through added ideas, word movement, and substitutions (ARMS) nurtures creative thinking, while attending to mechanics (CUPS) helps their final work shine with confidence and clarity.
I particularly appreciate the message “writing is never finished, only revised and rediscovered”, which beautifully captures the ongoing journey both teachers and students embark upon.
This post invites all educators, including those like me who are continually learning and evolving, to embrace imperfection as part of progress and to cultivate classrooms where revision is celebrated as a sign of strength, not failure. It’s a reminder that meaningful teaching is about nurturing confidence and resilience in our writers, echoing the core values of my group writing advocacy on our blog.
A lovely letter to yourself. : )
Blogger Mc
Hi Ariel
ReplyDeleteThank you for your letter to yourself. I truly appreciate your recollection of the child's reaction to your feedback, after "you" worked so hard to make all the corrections.
This reflection demonstrates mental grow which I anticipate will be implemented in your future classroom.