A case of Jill, an elementary school teacher who takes a reflection practitioner stance on her teaching is described. Three different social practices used by Jill to help her struggling third-grade students learn to write and some of the lasting impressions based on the whole experience are highlighted.

Writing is a powerful social tool that offers students opportunities to chisel their identities as they position themselves and others on issues and beliefs (Dyson, 1992). This article presents the story of how Mark, a fifth-grade student who resisted writing in certain classroom contexts, used positional writing practices to shape his identities.…