The Journey of Seeing: Final Reflections on Writing and Teaching


As I wrap up this blog series, I look back at a profoundly changed understanding of what it means to write and to teach writing. What began as classroom exercises became personal revelations about guiding students authentically through the creative process. From dissecting the Six + One Traits to crafting and then revising my own descriptive work challenged to “show, not tell” each lesson peeled back a layer of what writing truly demands: patience, presence, and purpose.

Working through the process myself, I learned that writing cannot be rushed. Ideas need space to grow. Images require time to clarify. Revision needs breathing room not as mere correction, but as discovery. This is what my future students deserve: the freedom to write at their own pace, to revisit their drafts, and to reshape their thinking without the pressure to “finish in one lesson.”

The most powerful shift came in understanding that writing isn’t just about telling a story, it’s about creating an experience. As Chekhov wrote, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” This series taught me to search for those glints, the precise, sensory details that make words come alive.

As I close this chapter, I feel more prepared than ever to foster a classroom where writing is not an assignment, but a journey. A place where students learn their voices matter, where drafts are seen as steppingstones, and where revision is recognized as the space where real magic happens.

If I carry one thing forward, it is this: great writing grows when we slow down enough to truly see and then help our students see it, too.

Thank you for following along. Your thoughtful presence has made this journey all the more meaningful.

 




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The Journey of Seeing: Final Reflections on Writing and Teaching

As I wrap up this blog series, I look back at a profoundly changed understanding of what it means to write and to teach writing. What began ...