The Making of Meaning: Metaphors, Models, and Maxims for Writing Teachers

by Ann E. Berthoff

The Making of Metaphors, Models, and Maxims for Writing Teachers

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1981

Reviews

[Peaches · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though published in 1981, the concepts in Berthoff's book are still often overlooked when teaching writing, especially in k-12 where standardization has replaced any for of creativity in writing. Berthoff clearly defines her understandings of composition vs. editing and explains how composition begins with thought rather than writing something down. What I liked most was her emphasis on imagination and how it lends itself to critical thinking.
The fault I found was the same I have found with many theoretical writers: A lot of ideas with few examples. Yes, Berthoff does include some readings at the end that educators could use in class, but she doesn't give any curriculum that could make her concepts more accessible to practitioners. I am a supporter of her ideas and appreciate that her book read easily, but it's astounding how many instructors who write about how to teach create books that are basically saying "Here are my ideas. Good luck brainstorming how to implement them since I clearly couldn't!"

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though dated, there was a lot to admire in this collection of speeches about teaching writing, most notably Berthoff's attitude about writing as a process and her understanding of its embeddedness in culture.

[Jessica Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of Berthoff's presentations. As such, it is exceptionally repetitive. While it's quite normal to repeat one's main philosophies during conference talks, it is rather hard to read when collected in linear form. I found some interesting ideas in parts one and two, but part three, in which she collected what she said were interesting tidbits that she liked over the years, I was quite frankly very bored. I didn't find most of the tidbits interesting or even informative, and I'm not even sure what she found useful in many of them.