Student Interest Survey

1. My name is ______

2. I write for enjoyment outside of school Yes No

3. Rate your effectiveness as a writer (1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest)

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4. What concerns do you have about yourself?

5. What concerns do you have about your community?

6. What is the scariest part about being in middle school?

7. What do you like about writing?

8. What do you dislike about writing?

9. What is your most memorable moment as a writer? 10. Describe your writing career up until this point. What should I know about you?

Why did I choose to develop a student interest survey?

I chose to develop a student interest survey as one of my genres because I know how important it is to get to you know your writers. I targeted the survey towards middle school students, because that is my favorite age group to work with. Young adolescents are very concerned about themselves as well as the world around them. “Educators are seeing a ray of hope as policymakers across political lines acknowledge that prescriptive education is not working and as educators find success in involving students actively in real work and meaningful goals within their communities” (Glickman). This is the age that students begin questioning anything and everything. By giving this survey to a new class of young adolescents, I can get a sense of what my students are thinking about themselves and the community in which they live in. It also gives me some insight into my students’ worlds. The last question on the survey asks students to describe their career as a writer up until this point in time. I can take these responses and make sense of who is feeling confident in themselves as a writer and who I will need to make a more conscious effort to engage in the writing process. My goal is to have every single one of my students experience success as a writer. “When we [teachers] were students, many of us found school to be a series of successful experiences, so much so that we decided to spend our careers there. Learning subject matter through reading and writing came easily, for the most part. It’s hard for us to full understand what it’s like for those who have difficulty” (Topping). It is essential for writing teachers to understand that many students come to us with severely damaged perceptions of themselves as readers, writers, and learners. It is my goal to ensure self esteem and confidence in each one of my students.