Teachers of writing can be compared to tourists in that they often deal only with the superficial aspects of student writing. Some teachers approach written themes carrying correction symbols as gadgets; others dissect student writing through the use of computer terminals and t-units. Still others view the writer romantically as someone with talent by nature, but who is chained by experience to the teacher's red pencil. The writer, in contrast, is the resident in the writing area, who writes out of a history of experience that includes perceptions, feelings, memories, humor and language. For the teacher to assist students in a meaningful way, she or he must study the composing processes in children, read student papers well, and work with the writer's strengths. In addition, the relationship between teacher and student, both in the prewriting and the writing task, merits close examination. (MAI)