Being a writing snob, I never, not once, thought I would ever teach the dreaded "Three Paragraph Essay" (which is the intermediate version to the equally dreaded "Five Paragraph Essay"). I always prided myself on teaching writing "outside the box". And, yes, that included not teaching the Thesis Statement. I'm more of a narrative-type a guy where the pointless thesis statement was usually implied with humor, cunning, and wit.
But, there I was today, whipping out the manila folders (their writing portfolios) and taking my 48 kids per through the "writing process" at Warp Snail Pace. It all started with a topic, proficiency approved of course. We class-banged the brainstorming process, cluster style, baby. (I always cluster before I blog it out!). Then we moved into the rough draft. Because, like I told them, the cluster map was the buffet - the rough draft was our lunch, we could go to the buffet and take whatever we wanted to eat from the Cluster Table to put on our Rough Draft Plate!
It all got pretty intense at this point. Because when we shifted to the Final Draft, at the end of the period, I threw in a monkey wrench - or, like my AP cleverly dubbed, "Surprise Editorialization". This safe-proof is to prevent them from copying the rough draft verbatim and claiming it as a final draft. Anyway, they had to include not one, but two hardcore facts (guaranteed to persuade the masses, and this was a persuasive piece) in the final.
Well, this was three days worth of work wrapped up in one day to get the familiar with them routine - I will typically take them through the pre-writing, rough, and final drafts on separate days (as a warm-up activity before moving into the nit and grit of my glorious English II curriculum: pronouns!).
It's a shame I am teaching something I, myself, would never use. To pigeonhole my students into a formulaic essay in despicable, and I threw up twice this afternoon between lessons.
That's okay, though, I still have my combined Journalism I and II class to tinker with. Sadly, my Creative Writing Class - where I could really flex composition ingenuity - was destroyed in an effort to fit as many students as possible in regular English courses.
Positive Side Note: Only three new enrollments today. I am eagerly awaiting the end of October where, as promised, classes will be leveled.
Alright, I'm done being an ass. I just thought I'd brag that my students are doing things students in high school do: stupid stuff.
Common Question: Why are you teaching? Get out if you hate it, sucka!
Answer: Mommy is still laid off, and I have three half-blackies to love and raise. I don't plan on slingling computers at Best Buy ever again, so this is it.
I just put in a graphic arts request: 500 stapled (pre-writing, rough rafting, final drafting) proficiency practice packets! (Which is good for a measly two essays - the price one pays for classes of girth.)
I am a man on a mission. I am determined. Willing. And able to do what it takes to be a teacher amongst teachers! All hail the three-paragraph-teaching Billings!
(Yeah, my students know those are exclamatory sentences. And they use them cautiously, because it's never good to yell!)
But, there I was today, whipping out the manila folders (their writing portfolios) and taking my 48 kids per through the "writing process" at Warp Snail Pace. It all started with a topic, proficiency approved of course. We class-banged the brainstorming process, cluster style, baby. (I always cluster before I blog it out!). Then we moved into the rough draft. Because, like I told them, the cluster map was the buffet - the rough draft was our lunch, we could go to the buffet and take whatever we wanted to eat from the Cluster Table to put on our Rough Draft Plate!
It all got pretty intense at this point. Because when we shifted to the Final Draft, at the end of the period, I threw in a monkey wrench - or, like my AP cleverly dubbed, "Surprise Editorialization". This safe-proof is to prevent them from copying the rough draft verbatim and claiming it as a final draft. Anyway, they had to include not one, but two hardcore facts (guaranteed to persuade the masses, and this was a persuasive piece) in the final.
Well, this was three days worth of work wrapped up in one day to get the familiar with them routine - I will typically take them through the pre-writing, rough, and final drafts on separate days (as a warm-up activity before moving into the nit and grit of my glorious English II curriculum: pronouns!).
It's a shame I am teaching something I, myself, would never use. To pigeonhole my students into a formulaic essay in despicable, and I threw up twice this afternoon between lessons.
That's okay, though, I still have my combined Journalism I and II class to tinker with. Sadly, my Creative Writing Class - where I could really flex composition ingenuity - was destroyed in an effort to fit as many students as possible in regular English courses.
Positive Side Note: Only three new enrollments today. I am eagerly awaiting the end of October where, as promised, classes will be leveled.
Alright, I'm done being an ass. I just thought I'd brag that my students are doing things students in high school do: stupid stuff.
Common Question: Why are you teaching? Get out if you hate it, sucka!
Answer: Mommy is still laid off, and I have three half-blackies to love and raise. I don't plan on slingling computers at Best Buy ever again, so this is it.
I just put in a graphic arts request: 500 stapled (pre-writing, rough rafting, final drafting) proficiency practice packets! (Which is good for a measly two essays - the price one pays for classes of girth.)
I am a man on a mission. I am determined. Willing. And able to do what it takes to be a teacher amongst teachers! All hail the three-paragraph-teaching Billings!
(Yeah, my students know those are exclamatory sentences. And they use them cautiously, because it's never good to yell!)
half-blackies??? Really. Didn't your Mother teach you any better than that?!