In both of my teachable subjects (English/History) I believe
that the essay is the predominant writing form. In English the essay is the
basic format through which students engage with their readings and express
their thoughts about a given topic. In History the essay is used to develop
historical narrative by building on evidence they have gathered. In both
subjects, there is a standard structure required for the essay, which I would
describe as the following:
1. Introduction
Hook – grab the reader’s attention
Funnel approach (general toward the specific)
Thesis statement
Enunciation of the structure/plan in the body of the essay
(first we will discuss… then we will… finally)
2. Body
Composition of the body can vary depending on the topic and
approach taken by the student.
I would
suggest below:
a. 3 main points with 2-3 supporting arguments
Depending on the student’s level of apprehension of a
subject, the format could be modified accordingly. For instance if the student
only has 2 main points to make, then the body would be adjusted accordingly and
if possible they could work to provide more supporting arguments if necessary.
b. I would suggest that they argue both sides of an issue
(for/against) and then provide a brief synthesis of each point before
proceeding to the next element of the body.
c. Students would be encouraged to incorporate citations in
their essays as a way to build their arguments towards their stated thesis.
3. Conclusion
A complete synthesis of the body is made.
The thesis is restated and affirmed.
An opening to further thought can be provided.
I would try to convey this structure of the essay as a living organism which needs all its parts in order to function properly.
Differentiating instruction:
To support differentiation of instruction in writing the
essay I would introduce students to the 6+1 traits of “good” writing. I would
teach the students about the various aspects discussed therein (ideas,
organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and
presentation). Then I would provide them with the continuum so that they may
self-assess their writing abilities in each of these categories. To compliment
this I would set up student-teacher conferences as well as peer-to-peer
feedback sessions. The focus of these sessions would be to focus instruction on
one key weakness so that they may develop effective strategies in order to address
these.
One of the principal needs for students with learning
disabilities would be to implement effective Planning, production, and revision
techniques. For “good” writing to emerge, students must have effective
organization. It was noted that planning was often overlooked by students with
learning disabilities just as their revision techniques often came down to proofreading
rather than a critical analysis of their final product.
To address these needs, I would develop mini-lessons
tailored on the needs of the students (as determined by their self-assessments
and my assessment of the class as a whole). As needed, methods for planning
would be discussed (graphic organizers: fishbone, mind maps) and students would
be encouraged to use them for the planning process in order to focus their
ideas. Additionally, given the challenge in text production, students would be
taught the various conventions of the texts they would be assigned to write;
checklists would be provided so that they may ensure that they are meeting all
the expectations. It is important for students to know the direction and work
with this goal in mind.
Given some students do not put the effort into the writing
task, this motivational barrier could be curbed by showing students the value
of writing and the ability for improvement. If they can see their writing
ability progress, they will be more apt to develop the craft. Most importantly
of all would be to develop authentic writing tasks that speak to the students
interest; if the passion can be ignited then the students will develop a
passion for the power of the written word.