When Parents Push Back

It's too bad that we focus on the negative. I've had a successful career so far, and I've received a lot of accolades about teaching writing to middle school aged kids. I don't mean to say that my instruction is perfect, because I can tell you it is not. But I do get students to work hard. One thing I always tell my students is that you get better at something by practicing. If you want to make free throws, practice free throws. If you want to learn to dance, practice. If you want to become a stronger reader, read. And, of course, it follows that if you want to be a better writer...

Write.

Over the years I have given my 6th grade students a lot of opportunity to write stories, narratives, and essays, and I've seen growth.

When parents push back, though, you tend to analyze your existing methods and consider what should be done better. After a particular doozy of a meeting, I unintentionally became more intentional about my teaching of the writing process. The tone of the parent requested meeting was completely negative, and we resolved little. And I wasn't planning on changing things.

But I did.

While I didn't want specific parental comments to guide my methodology when teaching personal narrative, those negative comments stuck with me and affected change.

At the end of the day, parents want what is best for their kids, and teachers should always listen. With writing process criticisms in the back of my mind, my recent writing process instruction approached another level.

I don't know how many of you English teachers out there read ALL your students' papers, but I do, and I've worked out an efficient way of correcting over the years. However, efficiency can breed routine, and routine can give birth to stagnancy.

I am not at the point of stagnancy, but efficiency and routine have become close confidants of mine. Don't get me wrong - I think my lesson plans are ever-improving, but this particular meeting was the wake up call I wasn't expecting.

Enter: Deeper thought when lesson planning for writing instruction.

We have a new resource for writing across the curriculum at our school, and I was able to tap into the Step Up To Writing resource for my 6th and 7th graders for the first time this year. I had planned to study the resource and add depth to my writing even without the parental contact, but our meeting caused me pause, and it allowed me to reflect.

Perhaps I would have reflected on my methodology anyway when I began to teach personal narrative to the students with the Step Up To Writing resource; I would like to think I would have. But I guess I'll never know the answer to that.

Regardless, our personal narratives are done. Now all that's left is the grading.

Make Your Writing Hospitable

We put our house on the market this last week. To prepare the house, my wife and I (and our kids) did a thorough deep clean both inside and out, not to mention the remodeling and love we put into our house over the last 11 years. We also decluttered and organized the house better than we ever have.

The response I think I enjoy most from people who have walked through is simply, "It's very clean." I take that to mean that our home is free of dirt and grime, but I also believe people are saying that it's well-organized. And I hope they've noticed that we've tried to make it hospitable.

As a sixth grade writing teacher, I want my students to make their writing hospitable. Let me explain.

If you've ever walked through a house or apartment to consider renting or buying it, first impressions matter. When things are in good condition or look new, when the place is neat and tidy, and when floors are vacuumed and dust is minimal, a person can stay positive and feel at home. On the other hand, if it's a mess, or if there's clutter all around, it's difficult to remain interested.

I tell the students something similar with their writing. It begins with the introduction of their paper, and sometimes the first line of their entire essay or story can make or break it. First impressions matter. If I see that the student has taken great care in constructing a thesis or an interesting lead, I am inclined to desire to read more, and I'll keep an open, positive mind as a teacher throughout the writing assignment. However, if I see multiple errors or a lack of following directions from the start, I will likely notice similar errors throughout the paper, and my attitude will deteriorate.

So students: welcome me into your paper. Make your writing hospitable. When you do this, I feel good. And when I feel good, I like to give you the benefit of the doubt. If the beginning of the paper is not done carefully, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to do that. So as you revise and edit your first draft, make sure to tidy it up and do a deep cleaning that's noticeable right from the start...or else it feels like this.

Write Me a Delicious Meal

Teaching writing makes me hungry.

Over the years, I've developed what I think is a memorable mini-lesson on the structure of essay writing in the middle school grades. To encourage students to organize their thoughts on whatever topic is required or chosen, we first create a concept web with a central bubble for the thesis and introduction details, three bubbles coming off the original intro bubble that represent the main ideas of the body paragraphs, and a final bubble connected in a different way (perhaps a dotted line) for the conclusion. We use this web to brainstorm, we scribble on it when we change our minds, we X out and add on as necessary throughout the assignment. This is the first step in the writing process: the planning stage.

The fun part, though, comes in the drafting and revising stages, the second and third steps of the writing process. To inspire students to put sentences down on paper, I like to tell a true story.

My wife and I decided to have a date night and go out to dinner. We picked Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse because we found a rare 2 for $20 seasonal coupon. Great food for two people for $20! What could be better? It was quite a steal. We walked up to the counter, put our name in, and were quickly seated. The smiling waitress approached and informed us that for the special, we could choose one appetizer, two entrees, and one dessert to share.

Appetizer--Introduction
My wife and I began when the waitress served us up the Jackpot Nachos: "piled high with refried beans, jack and cheddar cheese, tomatoes, jalepeños, and topped with sour cream, homemade guacamole and green onions". Oh, what a flavorful way to start our meal and prepare us for what was to come! The nachos had a distinction all to themselves--salty, strong, spicy, sharp--and the sharing of it prevented us from eating too much.
Much the same way, the introduction to an essay must be memorable. From the first thesis, the intro should have a flavor all its own. Consider a strong sensation, something sharp, that you can use sensory details to explore with your audience. Give them a solid base from which to begin, like the chips. Then detail where you're headed in your essay with a question, a story, some facts, the fixings on the nachos, if you will. Finally, build into a transition statement that brings the focus into the next phase of your "meal", the body.

Entrée--Body
Right about when we finished up our appetizer, the waitress dropped by to clear our plates and refill our drinks, noting that we were ready for our entrée. I had chosen Joe's Steak: "slow roasted for over 19 hours, then rolled in cracked black pepper and wood grilled". As usual, I ordered it medium as to retain the delectable juices of the beef. I also selected the Baby Greens Salad and the Mountain Mashers to go along with my main course. This phase of my meal had variety in color, flavor, and texture, and I was not disappointed when I took my first (not to mention my last) bite. I have to admit, I was feeling rather full at the end of this course, but I was delightfully satisfied.
This is really what we're here for, the main course. In the body of the essay, we arrive at the main points of the paper. Just as the waitress brought my steak entrée with my salad and potatoes, the body can be split into three topics. Each paragraph, then, should open with a topic sentence that clearly states the important point you're trying to make, follow with details in support of it, and end with another transition statement that relates to the next main point. The body as a whole should work together to support the thesis, but each paragraph of the body should appeal to the reader individually. At the end of the body, the reader should feel delightfully satisfied. Perhaps at this point, it's time to "push back the plate", allow for some reflection, and prepare for dessert, the final conclusion in the essay.

Dessert--Conclusion
When I'm satisfied after the main course, I tend to push my plate away semi-dramatically to signal that I'm finished. No matter how much I've eaten, though, there's always room for dessert. When the waitress came by and asked what dessert we'd decided to share, it was going to have to be the Nevada Cheesecake: "Joe likes his cheesecake tall, with a thick graham cracker crust and fresh whipped cream. You're going to like it too!" I knew it was the best option, and as my wife and I were served up the huge piece of cheesecake with two forks, we immediately dug into the sweet richness of our favorite dessert. We were relatively full, but we wanted that smooth end to a great meal.

While I didn't originally pick Tahoe Joe's for the dessert, it was definitely something I was looking forward to from the beginning. Teaching students how to structure a conclusion is tricky, but one thing I like to emphasize is that it should have a flavor all its own. Oftentimes, people save the most thought-provoking point until the end, or they share a related story that drives home their thesis. They may even review the main points and dive deeper into one of them, or end with a challenge for the reader. Whatever the structure of the conclusion, I think it should provide a smooth closing to the paper, just as the dessert does for the end of a meal. Keeping it relatively short and sweet, yet rich, will allow for a satisfying end.

The Experience
Encompassing my entire meal at Tahoe Joe's is the overall experience. The host or hostess, waiter or waitress, manager, and cooks (perhaps even a bartender) create that dining experience for me. There are lots of smiles, refills, check-ups, and there's attention to detail (think: editing in stage 4 of the writing process). If I'm unsatisfied, they'll even bring me something new. They're looking to ensure a positive environment for me so that I...#1 come back, #2 leave a fat tip, or even #3 publish a great review. As a writer, a student can likewise strive to create the proper atmosphere for the reader. Using the analogy above, the audience for the essay is the patron who walked in, coupon in hand, ready for a delicious experience. As a teacher, I read what the students serve up to me, and I look forward to my delicious meal.

I told you that teaching writing makes me hungry. How's your appetite?