How can you incorporate diverse perspectives into writing assignments?

2 What is writing teacher identity?

Writing teacher identity is the sense of self that you develop as a teacher of writing, based on your beliefs, values, practices, and experiences. It influences how you design writing assignments, how you interact with students, how you provide feedback, and how you assess writing. Writing teacher identity is not fixed or static; it is constantly shaped by your personal, professional, and social contexts, as well as by your students' feedback and performance.

3 How to design writing assignments with diverse perspectives?

One of the ways to incorporate diverse perspectives into your writing assignments is to offer students a range of topics, genres, formats, and audiences that reflect their interests, goals, and identities. You can also encourage students to draw on their own experiences, cultures, and communities as sources of information, inspiration, and evidence. Additionally, you can expose students to different perspectives by providing them with diverse texts, media, and examples that represent various voices, viewpoints, and values.

4 How to provide feedback with diverse perspectives?

Another way to incorporate diverse perspectives into your writing assignments is to provide feedback that is supportive, constructive, and respectful of students' choices, voices, and identities. You can do this by using a strengths-based approach that acknowledges what students do well, as well as by offering specific suggestions for improvement. You can also use feedback as an opportunity to learn from your students, by asking them questions, inviting them to explain their decisions, and listening to their concerns. Moreover, you can use feedback as a way to promote dialogue and collaboration among students, by encouraging them to peer review, comment, and respond to each other's work.

6 How to develop your writing teacher identity with diverse perspectives?

The final way to incorporate diverse perspectives into your writing assignments is to develop your own writing teacher identity with awareness, reflection, and action. You can do this by examining your own assumptions, biases, and practices as a teacher of writing, by seeking feedback from your students, colleagues, and mentors, and by engaging in professional development and research. You can also challenge yourself to try new strategies, experiment with different genres, and explore different cultures and contexts for writing. By doing so, you will not only enhance your teaching skills, but also your personal and professional growth.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?