THE TEACHER AS DOSTOEVSKIAN NOVELIST

In this article I investigate ho zu leaching and the teacher's role in elementary and secondary school writing classes have been conceptuali zed by leading writing workshop advocates. Using Bakhtin's writing on Dostoevsky, I develop the metaphor of the writing teacher as a novelis t who creates a classroom-novel and takes up relations with student-ch aracters. This metaphor enables me to explore and criticize important aspects of workshop theory and practice, including teacher-student rel ations, the free dorn granted students in workshops, and teacher autho rity and power Even as I affirm certain elements of writing workshop a pproaches, I argue that workshop visions of teaching and the teacher's role fend to mystify meaning-making, ignore the workings of power, an d underestimate teacher responsibility in the workshop.