What does a writing instructor do?
Writing instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real writing instructor resumes:
- Develop lesson plans, teach mechanics and creativity in writing, teach reading, math and manage resource room as needed.
- Educate students in the basics of reading, writing, and reviewing poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction.
- Assess student performance, adjust curriculum and create individual study plans, edit and translate tests and written essays.
- Provide instruction in a non-fiction memoir writing workshop.
- Attend IEP meetings and help develope goals for each consumer.
- Plan and implement educational goals and objectives according to the IFSP.
- Authore and implement goals and objectives for individual children's IFSP.
- Organize and run all classroom activities, including homework assignments and grading.
- Modify print and PowerPoint pilot curriculum to adjust to time constraints and student abilities.
- Cover the principles and uses of rhetoric, as well as writing strategies across academic disciplines.
- Work with a diverse student population, including ESL students and immigrants unfamiliar with American writing conventions.
- Teach students through developmentally appropriate reading, writing, and study skill strategies to help them become college-ready.
- Evaluate student progress and advise FDU personnel if a promotion to the next level of ESL is merited.
- Guide students in use proper grammar and spelling, college level vocabulary and proper MLA and/or APA citation formats.
- Introduce and implement MLA documentation.
Writing instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Writing Instructors are proficient in Math, Writing Curriculum, and Learning Environment. They’re also known for soft skills such as Critical-thinking skills, Interpersonal skills, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Writing Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Math, 12%
Teach Math, Reading and Writing to students after school in grades 1st-6th grade.
- Writing Curriculum, 10%
Reinforced and applied concepts, learning objectives and skills while meeting the center's writing curriculum.
- Learning Environment, 10%
Establish strong, equitable learning environment to meet the needs of diverse population of learners.
- Study, 6%
Prepared students to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for foreign study abroad.
- Syllabus, 6%
Developed and utilized English course syllabus following established instructional guidelines.
- Teaching Methodologies, 6%
Created and employed communicative teaching methodologies and curriculum to ensure best practices in the learning environment.
Most writing instructors use their skills in "math," "writing curriculum," and "learning environment" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential writing instructor responsibilities here:
Critical-thinking skills. One of the key soft skills for a writing instructor to have is critical-thinking skills. You can see how this relates to what writing instructors do because "to conduct original research and design experiments, postsecondary teachers need to analyze information logically." Additionally, a writing instructor resume shows how writing instructors use critical-thinking skills: "develop lesson plans and curriculum guides that foster student learning in critical-thinking. "
Interpersonal skills. Many writing instructor duties rely on interpersonal skills. "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees.," so a writing instructor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways writing instructor responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "graduate assistant, department of anthropology (fall 2016) interpersonal communication. "
Speaking skills. This is an important skill for writing instructors to perform their duties. For an example of how writing instructor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a writing instructor: "presented video lectures, moderated online discussions, and evaluated six formal writing assignments using the moodle online classroom environment. ".
Writing skills. writing instructor responsibilities often require "writing skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." This resume example shows what writing instructors do with writing skills on a typical day: "worked directly with convicted felons in a classroom environment on enhancing their writing skills for personal and professional projects. "
Resourcefulness. Another common skill required for writing instructor responsibilities is "resourcefulness." This skill comes up in the duties of writing instructors all the time, as "postsecondary teachers must be able to present information in a way that students will understand." An excerpt from a real writing instructor resume shows how this skill is central to what a writing instructor does: "demonstrated resourcefulness and developed ingenuity; overcame language barriers and trying working environments. "
The three companies that hire the most writing instructors are:
- Education Unlimited3 writing instructors jobs
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University2 writing instructors jobs
- University of Pennsylvania2 writing instructors jobs
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Compare different writing instructors
Writing instructor vs. Adjunct professor of english
An adjunct professor of English is someone who mentors new adjunct professors in providing answers to questions. Adjunct professors help in students' transition to college. The professors optimize student learning through effective, distinct, and creative writing and English approaches. They create syllabi every semester and back student learning in various ways for individual learning styles. Their job is to use conflict resolution and classroom management skills. Also, they organize and enforce professional development plans.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a writing instructor are more likely to require skills like "math," "writing curriculum," "learning environment," and "study." On the other hand, a job as an adjunct professor of english requires skills like "student learning," "learning outcomes," "course objectives," and "research methods." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that adjunct professors of english earn slightly differ from writing instructors. In particular, adjunct professors of english are 7.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a writing instructor. Additionally, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Writing instructor vs. English as a second language teacher
As the frontline in every school, the enrollment advisor works on answering students' queries about the university, its performance, the curriculum used, fees to be paid, scholarships provided, and even facilitate the on-campus tour. Should the student choose to enroll, the enrollment advisor helps process documents while also checking for course availability. Having good communication skills, enrollment advisors also help students assess their future careers and plan their course map.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, writing instructor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "math," "writing curriculum," "study," and "teaching methodologies." Meanwhile, an english as a second language teacher has duties that require skills in areas such as "english language," "student learning," "professional development," and "language proficiency." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
English as a second language teachers earn a higher average salary than writing instructors. But english as a second language teachers earn the highest pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $57,547. Additionally, writing instructors earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $52,140 annually.In general, english as a second language teachers achieve lower levels of education than writing instructors. They're 11.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for writing instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Patricia Bayona
Assistant Professor of Spanish, North Central College
Writing instructor vs. English language teacher
An English language teacher specializes in facilitating discussions and teaching the basic skills in reading and writing. Their responsibilities include developing lesson plans and coursework assessments, preparing learning activities, grading the students' homework and examinations, encouraging critical thinking, and monitoring their progress, assisting them in complicated areas as needed. Furthermore, as a teacher, it is essential to motivate students to reach their potentials, all while creating strategies to maintain a safe and healthy learning environment for them.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from writing instructor resumes include skills like "math," "writing curriculum," "learning environment," and "study," whereas an english language teacher is more likely to list skills in "english-language," "english language," "grammar," and "language development. "
English language teachers earn the highest salary when working in the retail industry, where they receive an average salary of $57,798. Comparatively, writing instructors have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $52,140.Most english language teachers achieve a lower degree level compared to writing instructors. For example, they're 14.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Writing instructor vs. English language assistant
Types of writing instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
