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Abstract
In the current state of writing education, our prescriptivist, statistically-driven definitions of literacy squelch the life-affirming power of self-expression through literate acts. Moreover, such rigid exclusivism is spirit-dampening and inauthentic with regards to democratic principles of expression. Yet, we seem to be caught in this pedagogical maze of authoritarian tradition. Thus, in this practitioner study of my own writing classroom, I adopt a dialogic pedagogical stance based in the theories of Bakhtin (1981, 1984, 1986) and Freire (1970, 1992, 1998) in order to promote student voice and negotiate the writing curriculum. Through this research, I seek to widen the lens on the definitions of teacher, learner and writing in the composition classroom. Likewise, I seek to promote a more democratic view of education in general.