Seeing the Writing Process in a New Way by Jeremy Hyler

Quite often I reflect on how I have evolved as a writer since 2010. That was the year I participated in the Summer Institute through the Chippewa River Writing Project which is a satellite site of the National Writing Project. Prior to the four week, intensive writing professional development, I was blind to the fact that the process of writing could be so magical and transformative. I was so blind that I thought the five paragraph essay was the only way to go.

It wasn’t until after enduring the four-week rigorous professional development that I discovered writing is much more than a formulated response to a prompt given by a teacher or instructor. Writing is so much more than putting words down on paper (virtually or literally). Through my own transformation, I have contributed to several professional texts and co-authored two books. Writing has become a major part of my life and well-being. It is because of writing that I am who I am today.

Now, I have taken what I have learned from the Writing Project and not only applied it to my own writing, but have opened up a whole new writing world to my own students who are now composing writing pieces on Google Documents, social media templates, and video platforms. I engage my students in a writing process that is messy, collaborative and welcoming. My students are more eager to share and become more comfortable every day when it comes to sharing their writing.

We are writers!



Jeremy Hyler is an 8th grade English and Science teacher at Fulton Middle School in Michigan (U.S.). He is also co-director of the Chippewa River Writing Project at Central Michigan University and the vice-president of The Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar (ATEG).  As well as contributing to many professional texts, Hyler has co-authored Create, Compose, Connect! Reading, Writing, and Learning with Digital Tools (Routledge/Eye on Education, 2014) with Dr. Troy Hicks and From Texting to Teaching: Grammar Instruction in a Digital Age. In addition to his writings, he has presented at professional conferences in the state of Michigan as well as at the national level and international level. Jeremy can be found on Twitter @jeremybballer or go to his website jeremyhyler40.com