--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I taught writing classes at the…" description: "\"I taught writing classes at the University of Pennsylvania for a number of years and I realized that all you can do is encourage people and give them a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/paula-fox-13833_assignments_i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-universi_301615.jpg" --- # I taught writing classes at the University of Pennsylvania… ![“I taught writing classes at the University of Pennsylvania for a number of years and I realized that all you can do is encourage people and give them assignments and hope they will write them.” quote by Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/paula-fox-13833_assignments_i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-universi_301615.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/paula-fox-13833_assignments_i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-universi_301615.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/paula-fox-13833_assignments_i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-universi_301615.jpg) > “I taught writing classes at the University of Pennsylvania for a number of years and I realized that all you can do is encourage people and give them assignments and hope they will write them.” [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teaching writing often reduces to encouragement, assignments, and hope that students will complete them. **In simple terms:** Teaching is mostly encouragement and assignments with hope. Key Takeaway Provide clear tasks and trust students to act. Themes education creativity mentorship Mood reflective optimistic Type advice reflective When to use this quote - college writing courses - creative workshops - online writing programs Key Concepts pedagogy motivation student autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can teachers foster intrinsic motivation? - What structures support sustained writing practice? A Different Perspective Students may lack intrinsic motivation, limiting outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assignments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assignments/) [Assignments Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assignments-hope-2880032/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Encourage People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encourage-people/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hope Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-write-1089608/) [I realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-realized/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Pennsylvania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pennsylvania/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [Taught Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-writing-1383092/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) [University Pennsylvania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university-pennsylvania-2704498/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Classes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-classes-668359/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [It is harder to get into Deloitte than into the University of Pennsylvania.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punit-renjen/it-is-harder-to-get-into-deloitte-than-into-the-university-of/) [Punit Renjen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punit-renjen/) > [My mother studied English and drama at the University of Pennsylvania, where my father studied architecture. She was a great influence in all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/my-mother-studied-english-and-drama-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [I'm married to a dear little girl who holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree from the University…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-julian/i-m-married-to-a-dear-little-girl-who-holds-a-bachelor-s-degree-from/) [Percy Julian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-julian/) > [I applied to only one college - the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania - and was fortunate to be accepted. After graduation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-finerman/i-applied-to-only-one-college-the-wharton-school-at-the-university-of/) [Karen Finerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-finerman/) > [When I've taught writing to five, six, and seven year olds, it's not very different than talking to an adult writer. They're writers then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/when-i-ve-taught-writing-to-five-six-and-seven-year-olds-it-s-not/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [The thing I always tell my writing students - I'm not a full-time instructor, by any means, but periodically I've taught writing students -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/the-thing-i-always-tell-my-writing-students-i-m-not-a-full-time/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [Art can't be taught; passion can't be taught; discipline can't be taught; but craft can be taught. And writing is both an art and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/art-can-t-be-taught-passion-can-t-be-taught-discipline-can-t-be/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [ The only thing I might have noticed \[and this is pretty anecdotal\] is that there is some tendency to need to be taught that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-only-thing-i-might-have-noticed-and-this-is-pretty-anecdotal-is/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“I can’t and won’t write without hope. I’d rather never write again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-can-t-and-won-t-write-without-hope-i-d-rather-never-write-again/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“I write because I hope.I write because I have faith. Hope.Hope alike a fresh flower grows in the sand of my heart . Faith.Faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katerina-kostaki/i-write-because-i-hope-i-write-because-i-have-faith-hope-hope-alike-a/) [Katerina Kostaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katerina-kostaki/) > [It's always been my hope that I would write a story that would inspire and would connect with people in a way that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/it-s-always-been-my-hope-that-i-would-write-a-story-that-would/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [“I hope you feel better about yourself. I hope you feel alive. I hope that good things happen to you, and I hope that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-bowe/i-hope-you-feel-better-about-yourself-i-hope-you-feel-alive-i-hope/) [Steph Bowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-bowe/) > [“Reality is more frightening than anything that I could ever hope to write!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyhitia-green/reality-is-more-frightening-than-anything-that-i-could-ever-hope-to/) [Tyhitia Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyhitia-green/) > [They ask me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/they-ask-me-what-i-d-like-written-about-me-when-i-m-gone-i-hope-they/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [“I know that nothing lasts forever. I will only focus on the future and I do not want to look back at the past.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-sadaka-boulos/i-know-that-nothing-lasts-forever-i-will-only-focus-on-the-future-and/) [Nadine Sadaka Boulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-sadaka-boulos/) ## More by Paula Fox > [My life was incoherent to me. I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [People steal into one's consciousness and occupy what seems, in retrospect, to have been their place all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/people-steal-into-one-s-consciousness-and-occupy-what-seems-in/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [You'll see some bad things, but if you didn't see them, they'd still be happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/you-ll-see-some-bad-things-but-if-you-didn-t-see-them-they-d-still-be/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [“I imagine there's a timid animal inside me...When it's afraid, I feel it tremble. It can't hear. It only knows the fear it feels.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/i-imagine-there-s-a-timid-animal-inside-me-when-it-s-afraid-i-feel-it/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [“Words are nets through which all truth escapes ("News From The World")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/words-are-nets-through-which-all-truth-escapes-news-from-the-world/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [I don't like to listen to music while I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/i-don-t-like-to-listen-to-music-while-i-m-working/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Imagination has to do with one's awareness of the reality of other people as well as of one's own reality. Imagination is a bridge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/imagination-has-to-do-with-one-s-awareness-of-the-reality-of-other/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [“Imagination is conjunctive and unifying; the sour, habitual wars of the self are disjunctive and separating. When I begin a story at my desk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/imagination-is-conjunctive-and-unifying-the-sour-habitual-wars-of-the/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [If a person had accused him of meanness, he could have defended himself. But with a dog - you did something cheap to it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/if-a-person-had-accused-him-of-meanness-he-could-have-defended/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [A year and a half after the end of the war and the German occupation, Paris was muted and looked bruised and forlorn. Everywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/a-year-and-a-half-after-the-end-of-the-war-and-the-german-occupation/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [“You’ll see some bad things, but if you didn’t see them, they’d still be happening so you might as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/you-ll-see-some-bad-things-but-if-you-didn-t-see-them-they-d-still-be-2/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Words are nets through which all truth escapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/words-are-nets-through-which-all-truth-escapes/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [When I had a few francs, I spent them at a café on the Place de Longchamps, a block or so from my pension,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/when-i-had-a-few-francs-i-spent-them-at-a-caf-on-the-place-de/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [I've always known a lot of very bad people, destructive, brutes of a certain kind. Then I've seen these lovely impulses and what not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/i-ve-always-known-a-lot-of-very-bad-people-destructive-brutes-of-a/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/the-density-of-people-in-society-is-so-thick-that-we-forget-that-life/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) [Explore all 49 Paula Fox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) ## More Assignments quotes > [Listen, I have a great affection and respect for Joe Biden. I think he's been a great vice president. He's taken on a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/listen-i-have-a-great-affection-and-respect-for-joe-biden-i-think-he/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) > [Men often joke about this assignment (I Peter 3:7): 'Who can understand a woman?' God has answered the question loud and clear. You can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stu-weber/men-often-joke-about-this-assignment-i-peter-3-7-who-can-understand-a/) [Stu Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stu-weber/) > [Do not delegate an assignment and then attempt to manage it yourself - you will make an enemy of the overruled subordinate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wess-roberts/do-not-delegate-an-assignment-and-then-attempt-to-manage-it-yourself/) [Wess Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wess-roberts/) > [Are you on the eve of change? Embrace it. Accept it. Don't resist it. Change is not only a part of life, change is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/are-you-on-the-eve-of-change-embrace-it-accept-it-don-t-resist-it/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Because God wants to take you in ever-increasing measures to know Him. And the only way you can know Him is by experiencing Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-blackaby/because-god-wants-to-take-you-in-ever-increasing-measures-to-know-him/) [Henry Blackaby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-blackaby/) > [From the beginning, we failed to overcome Europe's division. The Berlin Wall fell, but invisible walls were moved to the East of Europe. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/from-the-beginning-we-failed-to-overcome-europe-s-division-the-berlin/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [We were called, male and female, to do great works with separate approaches and separate assignments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/we-were-called-male-and-female-to-do-great-works-with-separate/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [Just how we fit into the plans of the Great Architect and how much he has assigned us to do we do not know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/just-how-we-fit-into-the-plans-of-the-great-architect-and-how-much-he/) [Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/) > [I've always been creative verbally, had a flair, my teachers said - wrote great expository essays in elementary school, scribbled little poems, embraced all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/i-ve-always-been-creative-verbally-had-a-flair-my-teachers-said-wrote/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [Even with an assignment, I take over, I find a freedom and make the idea my own, and that's where you get the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-d-ambrosio/even-with-an-assignment-i-take-over-i-find-a-freedom-and-make-the/) [Charles D'Ambrosio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-d-ambrosio/) > [For some time I have been disturbed by the way the CIA has been diverted from its original assignment. It has become an operational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/for-some-time-i-have-been-disturbed-by-the-way-the-cia-has-been/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [I remember when I was in art classes, I hated following the assignments. And I would get in trouble for doing something totally different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-remember-when-i-was-in-art-classes-i-hated-following-the/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [My paintings are about light, about the way things look in their environment and especially about how things look painted. Form, colour and space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-goings/my-paintings-are-about-light-about-the-way-things-look-in-their/) [Ralph Goings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-goings/) > [They told me I didn't understand the assignment, I told them they didn't understand life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/they-told-me-i-didn-t-understand-the-assignment-i-told-them-they-didn/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I don't read for amusement, I read for enlightenment. I do a lot of reviewing, so I have a steady assignment of reading. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-read-for-amusement-i-read-for-enlightenment-i-do-a-lot-of/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Browse all 278 Assignments quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assignments/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I taught writing classes at the University of Pennsylvania for a number of years and I realized that all you can do is encourage people and give them assignments and hope they will write them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paula Fox" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania-for-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assignments" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania-for-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/paula-fox-13833_assignments_i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-universi_301615.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/paula-fox-13833_assignments_i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-universi_301615.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/361/paula-fox-13833_assignments_i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-universi_301615.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I taught writing classes at the University of Pennsylvania for a number of years and I realized that all you…” — Paula Fox", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paula Fox", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I taught writing classes at the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania-for-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/i-taught-writing-classes-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania-for-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```