Lauren Roedy Vaughn has an undergraduate degree in drama, a master’s degree in special education, and a learning specialist credential with a subject qualification in English. For the past three decades, she has worked in the United States and abroad as an educator and writing specialist. She served as a Board Member for the International Dyslexia Association’s Los Angeles branch and is a member of the Association of Educational Therapists. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, along with other civic leaders, presented her with The Walk of Heart’s Teaching Award in 2005. She is the author of the young adult novel, OCD, The Dude, and Me, which made the American Library Association’s list of best books for teens and the Capitol Choice Selections. She loves teaching the Jane Schaffer Writing Program because its explicit structure and collaborative nature empower both teachers and students to raise the level of discourse and critical thinking within a classroom and beyond.
My Favorite Quote and Why I Chose JSWP®
My favorite quote is written by George Santayana, educator, writer, thinker, and more. He wrote, “The world is not respectable; it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever; but it is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter, and in these, the spirit blooms timidly, and struggles to the light amid the thorns.” I love this quote’s diction, imagery, and wisdom. It never fails to move me.
Santayana captures something tender and universal, and his words acknowledge and encourage. Our personal best efforts do matter, so be brave and keep going! Finally, the message reminds us to be compassionate because life is hard for everyone.
Students need compassion as well as reminders that the work they are doing is challenging. Like life, writing is hard . . . but meaningful. When I first started teaching, I thought students would learn to love writing simply because I did. As if my enthusiasm would rub off on them through magic! I was “deluded” . . . but not “forever” . . . because when I discovered Jane Schaffer, I embraced this method, which made writing more accessible for my students. (Like magic but more pedagogically sound.)
My students’ ability to write began to “bloom,” albeit “timidly” at first. Writing is a process. A thinking process. Processes take time.
One of the most meaningful aspects of using the Jane Schaffer Writing Program is watching how it changes a student’s relationship with literacy and themselves. Often, students who think they cannot write find out they can. That’s quite a gift. A fundamental belief about themselves shifts: they can write. That kind of spark ignites a brighter future.
