In my EMSE 3210 class, which is a class focused around helping future English teachers write and prepare lesson plans, we have been focusing on the writing process and what constitutes good writing. It is important for each individual teacher to determine what he/she believes constitutes good writing, but most importantly, each teacher must divulge this information with his/her students. If the students do not know what their teacher will be looking for in their writing, then they cannot provide the teacher with a paper that he or she will be satisfied with. The best way for an educator to prepare the students is by providing a rubric. It cannot get any more easier than receiving a rubric that specifically tells you what your assignment should not lack or what important details it should contain.
As I began writing my Writing Based Lesson Plan, I realized that I do not want to grade my students unfairly due to my lack of explanation. Therefore, I was sure to include more than one day that provided extensive explaining. Since I will be teaching middle/high school, it should not be necessary to pamper or hold a students hand through their writing process. However, I still felt that it was important to include Writing Workshops. Unfortunately, we can only expect the students in today’s society to have more difficulty with writing than the students in the past did. Writing Workshops can always give them the necessary feedback that they need to improve their writing skills and it can also help them with their critical thinking skills.
