Spring 2009 - Baldwin School

Writing at Baldwin
Students learn that the journey is as important as the destination
When Ernest Hemingway was asked why he had to
write the last page of The Sun Also Rises 39 times, he promptly
responded that he was trying to get “the words right.” Hemingway’s
deceptively simple answer highlights the challenges and
complexity of writing.
Dr. Olive Ledlie, chair of Baldwin’s English Department,
notes that, “Writing is a process of discovery.” She observes that
“students often have a broad idea of what they want to write
about as they begin, but as they write, they find new ideas—
that’s the discovery part. They may begin with a thesis, but often
have to change it by the time they have finished writing.”
At Baldwin, all the teachers use a writing workshop approach
in their classrooms. Students meet in small groups or as a
whole class to share drafts and ideas about a topic. One student
remarked, “When I hear what my classmates are thinking about,
it gives me suggestions for my paper.” Students are encouraged
to write multiple drafts to convey their ideas in the most fluid and
organized manner.
Electives
Senior Electives are an exciting aspect of Baldwin’s English
program in the Upper School. Course topics range from the novels
of Jane Austen and Shakespeare’s comedies to more contemporary
stories about Afghanistan and Iran. Students may also study
existentialism in literature, the heroic quest, and creative writing.
In these courses, students not only write analytical papers about
the texts, but also poetry, personal narratives and creative short
stories. Teachers offer opportunities for students to express themselves
in a variety of genres.
Baldwin has a Writing Center where students may receive
feedback on poems, stories, research papers and essays. Student
tutors volunteer in the Center, and a member of the English
Department is the director. The Center also provides information
about the numerous organizations that sponsor writing contests
and publish student work. A Creative Writing Workshop meets
regularly for interested upper school students. The workshop
participants recently attended “A Young Writers’ Retreat,”
facilitated by two former Baldwin students who have become
professional writers.
BY BETH C O P E
Awards
Baldwin students have
won many regional and
national awards. Last
year, an eighth grader
was one of a limited
Students are taught that writing is a process.
number of students from
around the country who
won a Promising Young Writer Award from the National Council of
Teachers of English (NCTE), and a junior was one of a select group
of students nationally to win an Achievement Award in Writing
from NCTE. This year two freshmen won writing awards: one won
a regional award in poetry from the Alliance for Young Artists and
Writers and another won a national award for an essay contest
conducted by Creative Communication, an organization that
promotes writing in young people. In addition, seven Middle and
Upper School students won prizes in a local poetry contest, and
eight Lower School students won prizes in the annual Gladwyne
Junior Authors Contest. Last fall, three Upper School students won
prizes in the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival.
In Print
At Baldwin, students are encouraged to make their writing public.
The Upper School literary magazine, The Roman Candle, and the
Middle School literary magazine, The Thirteenth Hour, are both
published annually. All Baldwin students are urged to submit
poems, short stories, essays, photography and artwork to these
student-run publications. One of the most gratifying aspects of
writing is sharing it with others. Teachers sometimes collect pieces
and make packets for that class to keep. The teachers emphasize
that sharing completed work is important, because students often
take great pride in what they have created. Internal publications
are as valid as external or national publications. Ultimately,
the teachers hope to foster confident, capable, proficient and
creative thinkers who will continue writing long after they leave
Baldwin’s halls.
Beth Cope teaches English and is director of the Writing Center at
Baldwin.
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