Surveys of teachers' use of writing in the classroom indicate that many teachers continue to use writing in a limited capacity, primarily for drill, notetaking, and evaluation. However, while these studies suggest attitudes teachers might hold, they say little about the beliefs that might underlie those attitudes. For example, the observation of one fourth grade teacher for one year revealed that appearance was of paramount importance to her; consequently, surface error became the most important part of a text to her. The teacher was not interested in generating or encountering problems that forced her to rethink her ideas or develop new solutions. She also felt the need to be the ultimate authority in the classroom and to have the children serve as a ready audience for her feelings. This need to express her feelings relates to writing in opposing ways. On the one hand, teachers believe that people need to express their feelings, while on the other hand, their desire to be the ultimate authority suppresses the children's desire for free expression. Such attitudes are not conducive to the concept of writing as a process and should be of concern to teacher educators. (HOD)