Daily Writing Prompts: Use or Not?

by Sharlen
(Houston, TX )

I get confused about using daily writing prompts or not. It seems to me that our "workshop" approach to reading and writing (Joyce Carol Armstrong, Nancy Atwell) emphasizes 'authentic' writing topics that students develop rather than assigned topics (just as students choose their own readings). Certainly the answer is — there is no one answer — that there is a time and place for both but I lose confidence in when to use what.

My old method was a writing prompt at the beginning of every class. Now I rarely use them. Maybe I went from one extreme to the other.

I teach high school English, Communications and Creative Writing.

Linda responds

I tend to grab whatever pendulum swings my way, too, Sharlen. Like you, I sometimes have second thoughts.

A writing prompt is a tool. In your classroom, you choose the tools that are best for your students and your objectives. The best tool for your creative writing class may be a terrible choice for a class of writing-adverse 10th graders.

I'm sure you know your situation well enough to make reasonably good choices of appropriate writing prompts even though you may not feel very confident now. Seeing success builds teacher confidence, just as it does student confidence.

Wise writing teachers, what advice and suggestions do you have for Sharlen? Do you use "admit slip" daily writing prompts as Sharlen used to? Or do you prefer some type of daily writing prompt?