(School of Thought logo by Kinsley Moncman, Art 1 Adv. Parkersburg South High School – 9th grade)

WRITER INTRO: In this week’s column, Mrs. Sarah Smith shares the importance of mastering the written word and becoming a skilled writer. Sarah graduated in 2008 and is a Parkersburg South alum. After college, she returned to PSHS and has spent the last 10 years teaching various English courses at her alma mater. When Mrs. Smith isn’t creating innovative and engaging assignments for her students, she enjoys spending time with her family.

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As a high school English teacher of ten years, I am accustomed to hearing at least a few groans after I assign any type of extended writing assignment. It is often difficult for students to see the true value of writing beyond an academic setting. Plus, writing often doesn’t come easy; it takes consistent work, study, and practice across multiple disciplines to really become efficient. In my — maybe somewhat biased — opinion, writing is one of the most important overarching skills: no matter what path students decide to follow in life, being an articulate writer is vital for true success.

Writing skills are obviously interwoven with some careers; however, even if a person doesn’t plan on becoming a journalist, English teacher, fictional or technical writer, they still must be able to effectively communicate through the written word. Not only are writing skills needed for creating engaging cover letters and resumes to sell oneself to land jobs, but they are also necessary in any profession in which detail-oriented reports need to be accurately generated — think police officers, nurses, doctors, etc. Also, anyone who plans on becoming a business owner or working for themselves — salon owners, hairdressers, and contractors for example — must be able to respond to clients, communicate plans, and draw up/edit contracts. Furthermore, those who want to hold positions of leadership in any setting must have the ability to communicate expectations and information clearly and concisely through writing, while also being able to establish and maintain professional rapports.

In a personal setting, writing skills are important for engaging with those around us and building positive relationships. Most Americans probably communicate with friends and family through some form of writing almost every single day; the rise of texting and social media in the last two decades has diminished the amount of time spent talking on the phone, and therefore made the need to write well even more important for maintaining interpersonal relationships in our everyday lives. Being able to control tone through word choice is something that is especially important when writing texts, social media posts, and emails, and it can really impact how people view interactions and us as individuals. Differentiating between informal and formal writing tasks and understanding email/message etiquette is all a necessity when trying to communicate in the most accurate, productive way. Writing can also benefit our wellbeing and sense of self: many forms of creative writing — including poetry and song writing — can help us process our own emotions and share our personal experiences; making lists and written plans can assist us in meeting both short and long-term goals; comedy skits are a form of therapy for many comedians and are a popular form of entertainment for audience members; and journaling can help us record our lives and history as a way of preserving memories for future generations.

Almost all writing tasks involve a combination of at least two of the following purposes: informing, explaining, persuading, expressing, evaluating, arguing, entertaining, and exploring. These end-goals should drive how a piece of writing is designed. It is imperative that students recognize this and practice writing — both casually and formally — for differing purposes themselves so they can essentially “experiment” with what works and what doesn’t, while also developing their own independent style. Maybe most essential in a student’s journey to becoming a fluent writer is that they read; reading novels, periodicals, textbooks, brochures, etc. exposes children and young adults to a wide variety of authors, styles, and purposes. It has been scientifically proven that reading from a young age not only expands a person’s vocabulary exponentially, but it also helps create an innate understanding of sentence structure, paragraph structure, and how to organize ideas within a text. That sort of embedded comprehension is hard to replicate or catch-up on in the secondary classroom if students aren’t actively reading in their free time starting in their elementary school years.

Writing in the real world serves as a main source for how people’s labor, education, and intellect is judged. Because of this, it is crucial that students are prepared by teachers, parents, and their own habits to reach their fullest potential when it comes to writing-based skills. Doing so will help them gain confidence in their thinking, take chances, build strong connections, and advocate for their best interests as they work to make their mark in the world. The immediate availability of the Internet and recent popularity of Artificial Intelligence writing tools makes plagiarizing in many forms tempting and plants a seed of doubt in the minds of some about the actual necessity of writing skills; however, if a person wants to authentically communicate their own personal thoughts with their own voice and style, they must know how to construct them in writing on their own. Writing is not “just” writing; it is essentially thinking through how to best organize one’s thoughts for the specific task at hand. There is a true divide in society between the “written class” and the “unwritten class;” being a well-written person can most certainly give someone a boost when it comes to employment, scholarship offers, promotions, relationships, business deals, etc. If students are seen in all ways — speaking, reading, and writing — as educated and knowledgeable, it will open doors of opportunity for them throughout their entire lives.