Originally published in TEACH Magazine, April 2026 Issue
By Kitty Llerandi
Middle school students often approach writing with little motivation, viewing it as a tedious assignment rather than a meaningful activity that gives them choice and ownership. In the many years I spent working as an elementary teacher, no assignment was met with more objections than one that involved writing.
However, as time went on, I began to realize that it wasn’t necessarily writing itself that my students were resistant to, but rather, the way it had been taught to them—through worksheets, uninspiring prompts, and rigid formulas that reduced creativity to a connect-the-dots exercise.
Kitty Llerandi has over two decades of classroom teaching experience in Chicago-area schools and, since retiring, now works as a literacy consultant in various elementary and middle schools. She enjoys partnering with teachers of all grade levels to work on building best practices in literacy instruction, classroom management techniques, and innovative uses of technology.
