Creative Arrogance in Writing

The communication of ideas and opinions is essential to civic participation, says Mike Hussey from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Toronto. "But too many people, including many teachers, are paralyzed by a fear of language." Their fear of being judged by their use of language inhibits them from sharing and defending their ideas, he continues.

By the time his English students leave his class, they do not have that problem. A minimum of two writing assignments a week has transformed them into skilled and confident writers armed with what Hussey calls "creative arrogance," the conviction that "not only can I tell people this, I should tell them! They need to hear it from me."

Hussey teaches the two aspects of writing — how to write and how to think — simultaneously in an English course disguised as Ethics and Moral Reasoning.

Science uses the scientific method to express itself and mathematics uses the language and grammar of numbers. Neither could advance the course of human learning with sloppy or inaccurate expression. It is no different for writing, he tells his students. But, he adds, "Mere competence isn't enough. Excellence is required."

In this course, students learn to use grammatical structures correctly, construct a complete sentence and paragraph, connect paragraphs together and use the different styles of writing. "Syntax and diction are tools effective only when they're used properly," he says.

With the tools of writing in hand, students turn to the challenge of expressing themselves. Here, too, Hussey teaches his students the necessary skills of logic and critical analysis. "These are the forensic tools of writing," he explains. In the writing assignments of this course, students choose a current issue that interests them, develop an opinion about it, and then explain their position clearly in an essay. He returns these essays with detailed notes, outlining suggested improvements, and allows students to resubmit their work after editing. Their confidence and "creative arrogance" soar.