Writing as Praxis

              One dictionary definition of Praxis states: Praxis is the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practiced, embodied, or realized. "Praxis" may also refer to the act of engaging, applying, exercising, realizing, or practicing ideas.

              Paulo Freire defines Praxis as “reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it” (190). Robert Yagelski works from Freire’s definition as he discusses the loss of “ontological” way of writing with students. The school systems in general teach students how to churn out papers meeting the state and federal standards. Yagelski contends that students should learn to write as an experience, an everyday practice, which explores the students’ thoughts, ideas, and life experiences at the moment they are writing.

              In this class and one of my other classes we have been exploring our reading and writing histories, from past to present, which pushes us to define and understand where our ideologies began and how they were/are shaped in relation to society. Yagelski does not want students to wait until grad school to discover their ideologies.

He states:

“When we write, we enact a sense of ourselves as beings in the world. In this regard, writing both shapes and reflects our sense of who we are in relation to each other and the world around us. . . . A truly transformative pedagogy of writing, therefore, begins with an understanding of the act of writing not as the writer thinking (as in a cognitive view) or communicating (as in a social view) or constructing himself or herself (as in a poststructuralist view)—all of which are valid but limited ways of understanding writing—but as the writer being. (Yagelski, 2009, pp.7–8)

As a creative writer I understand Yagelski’s statement and totally agree with his assessment. A large part of me comes through when I write creatively my experiences and dreams are intertwined with my stories. The question that has come up multiple times in various classes is how can I incorporate more creative writing in the classes that require composing papers. In other classes we have discussed critics and theorists who state that students should be able to draw on personal experiences when writing papers for school. So where does all this theory and debate get us?

              While Yagelski’s article is empowering to read, especially the seventh grade student’s digital story about her mother, these are pockets of teachers in school systems that allow flexibility in the classroom. Why don’t these present day critics and theorists come together and make a change in the system itself? Yagelski discusses the empowerment of writing in relationship to the writer. He says, “The writer at the moment of writing is experiencing him or herself through language” (192). Why not take this concept along with all the other theories and present a cohesive, clear, concise argument and make a case for changing the overall education system.

              Some may think I am being facetious and maybe I am a little, but I see the frustration on the teachers in my grad classes as each theory/idea is presented as another way to engage students, but it always comes back to: time, standards, testing, uneven levels of literacy, and student engagement. So we can enjoy our theories and revel in the idealistic moment of creating the ultimate classroom, like we did in ENGL516, but unless the state and federal governments have a flash of brilliance and actually listen to their teachers, the teachers will continue to find avenues of bringing engaging practices into the classroom all the while adhering to the STANDARDS.