Writing without Teachers

Came in great condition

I enjoyed Elbow’s book on the teacherless writing classroom and the importance of free writing. A classic pedagogy text. I had to get this book for my exam. I wanted to note the spelling error on the back of the book. Please fix Oxford University Press.

Peter Elbow’s Writing Without Teachers represents a remarkable contribution to education which could help nearly every student read at grade level if only education policy makers would listen. Peter Elbow, a graduate of Williams College, asserts that STUDENTS NEED TO WRITE MUCH MORE THAN A TEACHER CAN READ.The former head of the English Department at the University of Hawaii Lab School followed Elbow's core recommendations beginning over 20 years ago. Since then, students there do "journal free writing" for 5-minutes every session of English class. Teachers do not "correct" this writing, a process that would be overwhelmingly time consuming, but students exchange their journals with another student each week so that the students know their writing will be read by another. This contributes to the result that since this has been adopted, along with one other revolutionary teaching method, no student has graduated who was not reading at least at the 12th grade level. It is estimated that the average student from 6th to 12th grade will have written approximately the same number of words as are in Moby Dick.This 5-minute-a-day of writing has also been adopted in an after-school STEM reading program, also with great results (See: ReaDch.com).

The main core of Elbow's book is about freewriting, which means you write nonstop for 10-20 minutes a day, just to get you into the habit of writing. You may think, well what's the big deal about that? Well, you don't stop and correct anything when freewriting, you save that for later and just write whatever comes to mind, if you're stuck you repeat the last word or sentence until something else pops up and then you write about that. Then, when you're done you can save it and look through it for the gems that you were searching for, save it for later and see if something you wrote is what you were looking for down the road, or you can throw it away and just have it be an exercise. This is to get you out of your 'writer's block' and to get you into the habit of sitting down and writing every day.So why three stars if everyone else is giving a higher rating? If his idea wasn't so good I'd give it one star. This is the most dry, boring book I've ever had to try and slog through in my life. ... Well, almost, there are others. Also, Elbow wrote a later book called Writing with Power in which he goes through the same concepts as in this book only better, and more interesting, and with more ideas and information to help people who want to write, which, to me, makes this book obsolete. I bought both and sent this one back.

In addition to free-writing, and the overall strategy of how to write a theme with limited time (commented by earlier reviewers), the author also shows the importance of getting feedback on your writing. He encourages you to organize groups of like-minded authors to review each other's writing. There is a very specific protocol for this... and its easy to screw up, so you really need to get the book to find out the details.Without such feedback you will not be able to understand what the reader is thinking as he reads your work. Elbow is not describing how to get "feedback" but how to understand the effect your writing has on the reader. In these meetings each individual describes what was going on in his head, what he remembers... not whether he liked your work. Thus, you see the effect.All three of my Peter Elbow's books have been extremely helpful. My only complaint is that his writing is too wordy. However, his wordiness is pleasant to endure. This book is easily worth a 5 out of 5.John DunbarSugar Land, TX

Peter Elbow’s power of words is a much better book full of amazing tips for writers. This one however not as good I’d prefer the power of words by the peter elbow instead

It is a great book, as far as I've read. Been reading some other great books as well that mention the book by Peter Elbow.

As a college writing instructor, I've read many manuals on writing well, but Peter Elbow's Writing Without Teachers provides unconventional, organic insights into the teaching of writing. He suggests methods and metaphors that would revolutionize most writing programs. His advice is clear, organized, and accessible. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to apply his suggestions in my own classes.

Although the title and the approach are focused on self-managing writers groups, this book is a great way to look at writing, with or without a "teacher,".... maybe "just" all by yourself. The fact that it's been around for more than 25 years and is still in print - and being reissued - says it all. A real classic, and worth reading for its insights, encouragement and sustained passion for writing. I'd recommend it to any aspiring writer...along with EM Forester, Strunk and White and Stephen King On Writing.