Speak for Yourself

Susanne Rubenstein shows how to focus on voice in the teaching of writing to help students take ownership of their work, enjoy what they're writing, and produce writing that shows depth of thought and originality of expression.
As writing instruction becomes more standardized and structured, student voices grow silent. Speak for Yourself: Writing with Voice places a new emphasis on voice in the teaching of writing. Armed with the philosophy and concrete teaching ideas offered in this book, teachers can find the courage to speak up in order to create writing classrooms where students take ownership of their work, enjoy what they're writing, and produce writing that shows depth of thought and originality of expression. This book acknowledges the pressures English teachers face in today's educational climate, but challenges teachers to rally their expertise and enthusiasm so that student writers develop voice and speak for themselves.

Susanne Rubenstein, an English teacher at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, Massachusetts, is the author of Raymond Carver in the Classroom: "A Small, Good Thing" and Go Public! Encouraging Student Writers to Publish.