Being a successful writer takes practice. When teachers employ several writing strategies and vary their assignments, students have the opportunity to discover their own writing process. Some students, for example, will benefit from short in-class writing assignments, since this task gives them a concentrated arena to develop and refine their ideas and thought. Other students, however, might find in-class writing daunting but find journaling at their own leisure one of the best ways to synthesize their ideas and the themes of the class into formal writing assignments or class discussion. Still others might better explore their writing ideas initially through talking about them or even through sketching and visual representation. Regardless of their preferences, students will benefit from consistent writing both within and outside of the classroom. Below, instructors will find a variety of writing assignment genres that can help students practice writing, demonstrate knowledge, and develop critical writing skills.
