The 9 rights for every one period.
Vicki Spandel is onto something much more monumental than just "a Guide for Teachers." Spandel is writing a guide for life in general. In this week's readings, we get to venture into the rights to writer badly, see others write, and find your own voice. Yes, these rights are extremely important for the classroom, but they should be added as metaphors for everyone to embrace in life.
The idea of being able to write badly is, simply put, the rights to make mistakes; the right to work your way to a goal; the right to not be perfect. Let's face it, we are not going to do everything perfect in life (unless you think like Eugene, but who else stumbled across reading the Illiad while still in diapers ;-) Just messing with you Eugene!), this right as told by Spandel acknowledges that students need not feel that they need to produce gold the second their pen hits the page (or finger's hit the key board; for you more modern types [no pun intended]). She explains that if you do not guide the students through their efforts of writing, and embrace when they produce even their worst first drafts, students will not feel comfortable writing, taking risks, or consequently doing drafts. I like how she suggests that teachers should model their own drafts as a means to show that all people go through the process of revision.
This example leads into the student's rights to see others write. This is very important, because without examples, how are the students supposed to know what to do. I love, love, love Spandel's metaphors, especially the one about the swimming teacher, but I feel in this chapter that the teacher needs to work as the true model for writing. Anytime a teacher allows themselves to be viewed through a process, it not only allows the students to have a model for their own works, but it further allows the teacher to be seen as more human. I don't ever want the students to feel like it is them and me, rather I want the class to work as a whole, and by being viewed doing their types of assignments (even when modeling), I feel that the students' understand that mindset even more.
lastly, Spandel says that students need the opportunity to find their own voice. This makes you understand that there is no right answer to every question, and that sometimes the act of getting them to write is an accomplishment within itself. Yes, prescribed English is more widely used and appreciated in the greater good of life, but that does not mean they cannot use their own voice to get there. Me, personally, I sound completely different on paper than when I speak (except of course for blogs), but does that mean I speak wrong? Or is it that by speaking "normally" it guides me towards becoming a better writer with a more unique voice.
Check out this website for ideas about finding a writer's voice. Includes suggested activities.
http://www.csusm.edu/diekman/vsar309f05/chpt6.html