Teaching the Real Purpose of Writing

Originally published in TEACH Magazine, January/February 2019 Issue

By Ashley Yarbrough

As teachers, we know that students need to be motivated in order to learn. Especially in English, which requires students to sit and read or write for extended periods of time, I find it to be frequently challenging to get my students to want to do their work. “Challenging” is really an understatement if we are being honest; it’s more like “nearly impossible” at times.

I have taught kids from low-income homes, kids from multi-million dollar homes, sixth graders, tenth graders, twelfth graders—you name it. They’re all the same in this way. They need purpose, and due to their maturity level and today’s age of instant gratification, that purpose needs to apply to them right now.

Ashley Yarbrough

Ashley Yarbrough is a secondary English teacher, mother, writer, and gardener. She has taught students from diverse backgrounds in both public and private schools. She keeps a blog at mamahoodmemoirsblog.wordpress.com. Feel free to visit and reach out to her!