Meet Them Where They Are
In her December 8, 2025 WCM blog, Carol Rasmussen notes our diverse backgrounds as writing coaches. Katie Ward expands on this point in her February 3, 2026 WCM blog, describing each coaching session as “a chance for the student and the coach to bring our unique backgrounds, sensibilities, and interests to the table to make a difference in their writing.” This view aligns with my own experience as a writing coach.
Limited to one, or at most two, short sessions with a given student, how can I most effectively contribute to their writing efforts? Is it appropriate to pursue a foundational understanding of a topic in an extended discussion, or should I mainly focus on the structure and elements of writing (e.g., introduction/thesis, body, conclusion; ideas, evidence, analysis; organization, sentence structure, cited sources, conventions...)
Some students bring well-written drafts for which remaining edits are few and minor. Other students bring less-developed drafts where many possible improvements can be discussed. And a few students are without a workable draft, sometimes due to illness or other difficulties in their lives, matters that may be outside of their control. How can I also help them?
When facing these varied situations, I try to be flexible and forgiving. It’s inspiring to have insightful discussions with more advanced students, and it’s rewarding to collaborate with the vast majority of students in advancing their writing skills. Students without a workable draft present a greater challenge and possibly a greater opportunity. Motivation levels may vary among students, but my preference is to never blame failure simply on a lack of motivation. For students without a workable draft, I try to maintain a positive outlook, boost their confidence, and together build what we can (e.g., brainstorming a few basic concepts; a rudimentary outline; a roadmap for adding content...).
In short, when working with students of unique backgrounds and varied levels of preparation, I try to MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE.
PS: Recommended by a fellow writing coach, the February 2, 2026 article by Walt Hunter in The Atlantic, “Stop Meeting Students Where They Are,” offers a counterargument for teachers to consider. Lucky for me, I am only a writing coach and have no say in student assignments.