Writing Well/Writing to Be Well: Rethinking the Purposes of Postsecondary Writing Instruction

In this article, we identify student well-being as a primary goal of postsecondary writing instruction. Reconceiving the purpose of writing instruction in this way rests on valuing the experience of writing and its impact on the writer's sense of self. We draw on posthumanist theory and empirical research to illuminate this impact as the foundation of a pedagogy that promotes students' well-being and also supports their development as writers and as human beings.