An Open Letter on Us, as Writers

By: Griffin Reilly

Before I dive into anything, it should be known that I’ve got very little authority on much of the following content. I am young and I assume that despite whatever experiences in writing I’ve had thus far, they do not equate to any semblance of true credibility. I believe these statements wholeheartedly but acknowledge that my opinions are those of someone who has a lot more to learn.

Our Curriculum is Stupid

Other than general disinterest or laziness, the first reason people usually give when asking me to help write something for them is that they’re simply not good at writing. And that’s always baffled me. I understand that I may possess abilities that allow me to be a more natural communicator, but I sincerely believe that nobody is bad at writing.

Things we were taught to consider like grammar, diction, word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, the list goes on; these are essentially just formalities that resulted from an organized, Westernized form of education. Just as asking someone to use “proper English” is often discriminatory and ill-informed, demanding that one’s ability to effectively communicate through writing be completely dependent on a set of standard criteria invented by a single demographic of individuals in power is equally unjust. Similar to representation in politics, the majority of people at each and every echelon of the education world (speaking towards generally K-12 in these cases) are white. In 1998, whites made up 84% of full-time teachers in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States. Now over 20 years later, even after countless education reforms featuring attempts at diversification of schools, that number has hardly flinched (now at 79%). Despite the fact that the average public school teacher is not the apex decision-maker on the policymaking level, they still hold an immense amount of power. Teachers interact with students each and every day, for often just as much time or more time than their parents or any other adult guardian would. They make serious and tangible impressions on our psyches, regardless of subject, grade, or topic. Our educators are, through very limited choice of our own, some of the most prominent role models in our lives. And as figures with such power over the development of children from various backgrounds and demographics, educators should absolutely embrace their job as a role model first and foremost.

Many good teachers do just that: when students think back on our memories with them, it’s not necessarily the physical content of the class that sticks out, rather the times in which a teacher took the time to address something you may have been dealing with on a personal level that prevented you from succeeding in any particular situation. While those lessons that contain the ability to extend beyond the classroom are imperative to a complete education, we should also consider that they should be viewed as the expectation for educators, rather than an added bonus to applaud.

Bad teachers, however, often make an even more considerable impact on children. Being ineffective as an educator is not merely reserved for those who berate/patronize children for failing to understand content, for “acting out” in class, or for those who fail to communicate with a student on an individual or personal level: because I that goes without saying and should no longer be viewed as a valued opinion, rather a standard that must be met. The worst teachers are those who display unquestioned loyalty to a strict, “disciplined,” and often uniformly hegemonic curriculum in their respective subject. While a certain series of steps or instructions is often most effective in the case of formulaic content like algebra, geometry, etc., it is creative thinking that has always powered innovation, rather than curricula. A developed, standardized curriculum and testing system fails to acknowledge the student (whose cultural backgrounds undoubtedly vary on extraordinary levels from one to the next) as any more than a means through which to develop statistics.

Just as we do in competition, the United States creates many ways through which to analyze our educational effectiveness on a large scale so that we can compare ourselves to the rest of the world. Ironically enough, the repeatedly disappointing feedback we receive from these statistics somehow fails to merit more funding for education, as well as consideration for a change in approach.

Discrimination in Writing

For decades, we’ve acknowledged our education system features a lack of exposure to authors of color. White authors like Mark Twain and Joseph Conrad are upheld as the model for amazing literature despite repeatedly perpetuating racist beliefs and stereotypes, without any consideration for the trauma that come as a result of reading them as a person of color. Anything less than actively identifying and condemning cases of racism in literature simply serves to tell students that these words and actions are acceptable in our society. Furthermore, by continuing to examine Conrad rather than an author of color such as Toni Morrison or Helena Maria Viramontes, we are subliminally sending the message that people of color are not capable or producing content that can receive the same level of praise as white voices.

Beyond racist literature, however, is a potentially worse evil. Just as subtle, coded, institutionalized forms of racism are more powerful and pervasive in our daily lives, the same goes for education in writing.

Black culture has, without question, risen to the forefront of American pop culture. Despite their fame and followings, many hip-hop artists are criticized by white people for the lives they depict in their music, without any attempt at understanding the depth of said culture on a personal level. This behavior is mirrored in education. White educators fail to understand or make an attempt to understand Black culture, and in turn mask any embarrassment caused by this ignorance with disciplinary measures (by almost every measure, teachers enact disciplinary measures against Black children at starkly disproportionate rates.).

Researchers and educators have often demeaned keystones of Black culture, citing that messages of misogyny and the promotion of violence in rap music have negative influences and hinder the path to social equality. A 1999 analysis done by a student at Stanford University noted that education from police, since they are often directly threatened by rap lyricists, would be the key to right the wrongs of rap’s influence, “police feel that gangster rap threatens them. It is their responsibility not to let the issue die. They can educate the communities they protect, giving examples such as that of Officer Davidson to warn parents about what their children are exposed to” (Giovacchini, 1999). There’s a lot to unpack here. First, both here and throughout his analysis, Giovacchini neglects to ask the question: what are these messages of anti-cop violence rap music in response to? Second, his argument that it is the responsibility of our community members to educate one another on the dangers of this specific facet of Black culture is horribly flawed; not only does it free all police, white policymakers, and white upperclass community leaders of any responsibility for generations of their own acts of violence, human rights violations, gentrification, and strategic discrimination, but it once again blames Black Americans for the crimes of white nationalism.

I hope that this analysis on one particular form of discrimination in education can serve as an example for how white nationalism is a part of the homogenous goal of education. Through devaluing and demeaning the legitimacy of Black culture, particularly language and music, a predominantly white-led education system in the United States outlines academic success in white terms only. It should be noted that these same actions of discrimination in the classroom are also taken at increased rates against various ethnic minority groups, not just Black students.

Creativity in Writing

It is absolutely no secret that creative writing in education introduces a plethora of benefits for students; at the most basic level it gives them the opportunity to showcase personal expression. With an increased level of attention being given to standardized testing, funding for creativity and writing along with the arts as a whole is rapidly dwindling year after year. Yet with the presence of creativity in the classroom, studies show that students are more likely to take risks and place confidence in themselves when given the opportunity to incorporate personal interests in their education.

Basic exercises such as improvisational short story writing about overcoming an obstacle or sharing a favorite moment allow students to work on self-awareness and find a natural voice through which to share their thoughts. Laura Bean, the director for Mindful Literacy, a program dedicated to improving creative writing programs in schools and colleges across California, shared her thoughts on this particular topic to UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine in 2018. “For students, sharing their own stories of bravery, resilience, and determination brings these qualities to the forefront of their minds and helps solidify the belief that underlies a growth mindset: I can improve and grow,” she writes (Bean, 2018).

It is exercises like these, not timed writing exercises centered around theme analysis and information regurgitation abilities, that allows students to grow as both writers and individuals. This brings me, finally, to the heart of my message.

You Can Write

The reason I believe that writing shouldn’t be perceived as a skill as a student, is because the vast majority of the work involving writing we are given throughout our education in the United States is not dependent on any personal ability. Being able to memorize facts and statistics may help someone in their timed essay, but it’s not necessarily indicative of their personal experiences or ability to communicate effectively. For so many students, and I speak confidently from my own experiences with peers, they find themselves discouraged regarding writing altogether because they were informed long ago that they were not effective communicators in the written medium.

Rote memorization and the ability to research are not the cornerstones of effective writing. These abilities are, in fact, taught in various facets of education. An education system dominated by white teachers and leaders also, whether intentional or not, furthers the hegemonic culture of formality deemed necessary for success in the white world. It neglects any freedom for expression, and features a set of restrictive grammatical, linguistic, and stylistic guidelines that all “proper” writing must follow. Yes, the ability to communicate in formal language can be effective in many different settings, but it should not be considered the highest echelon of communication.

These standards of writing actively erase the legitimacy of various dialects, speech patterns, and forms of communication that take place outside of the white, upperclass demographic that dominates politics and business in the United States. In doing so, it teaches students of color that their culture will not be tolerated in higher education and adult life: a behavior that is fundamentally discriminatory and outright disgusting. The United States education system fails to tell its students that creativity and individuality are valid forms of expression, particularly in writing, in addition to systematically suppressing voices of color. An increased level of attention and funding for creativity and critical thinking in education and an active attempt to promote voices of color (both through the increased hiring of educators of color and adjusted curricula that feature more authors and leaders of color) will work wonders to increase confidence in education for students everywhere.

What I found at a very young age was that teachers, when reading my writing, found that I had a very “unique voice.” With good teachers, I was empowered. With bad teachers, which unfortunately came far more often, I was told that my attempts to speak more colloquially and informally distracted from the central message of my work. In many cases, they may have been right. I tend to wander off on tangents in my writing. But without the opportunity to let my brain wander off to let my brain explore each and every thought, I don’t think I would’ve ever developed the passion for writing I have today.

In essence, everyone can write. Do not let teachers who practice strict, standardized curricula invalidate the legitimacy of your voice. Write like how you would speak or think, and then come back later to clean up the edges of your argument. Write about things that you love. Write about things you hate! It really doesn’t matter. Exercise comfort in using your voice, no matter the reason or audience. By all means, do not let anyone tell you that you’re not good at writing.

Sources

De Brey, Cristobal. “Characteristics of Public School Teachers.” The Conditions of Education, The National Center for Education Statistics. 2020. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/ indicator_clr.asp

Balingit, Moriah. Van Dam, Andrew. “U.S students continue to lag behind peers in East Asia and Europe in reading, math and science, exams show.” The Washington Post. December 3, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/us-students-continue-to-lag- behind-peers-in-east-asia-and-europe-in-reading-math-and-science-exams-show/ 2019/12/02/e9e3b37c-153d-11ea-9110-3b34ce1d92b1_story.html

Riddle, Travis. Sinclair, Stacey. “Racial disparities in school-based disciplinary actions are associated with county-level rates of racial bias.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. April 2, 2019. https://www.pnas.org/content/ 116/17/8255

Giovacchini, Anthony M. “The Negative Influence of Gangster Rap and What Can Be Done About It.” Ethics of Development in a Global Environment (EDGE). Stanford University. July 27, 1999. https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/mediarace/ negative.htm

Gordon, Nora. “Disproportionality in student discipline: Connecting policy to research.” The Brookings Institution. January 18, 2018. https://www.brookings.edu/research/ disproportionality-in-student-discipline-connecting-policy-to-research/

Bean. Laura. “How Creative Writing Can Increase Students’ Resilience.” Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley. October 30, 2018. https:// greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_creative_writing_can_increase_students_resilience