Listening to your students: thesis statements, individualized prompts and essay review

I think we really need to listen to our students.  We have to sit back and just let them talk to us and share their story.  Let them tell us about themselves.  Give them the time and respect that all people deserve.  I think I learn more about my profession and what my responsibilities need to be when I take the time to sit back and soak up what my students say to me on a daily basis.  So, when my student Ellie, a grade 9 girl,  tells me "the ideas that we make today create the future for tomorrow", I listen.  After all,  Ellie is right.  Her voice IS the future. 

Case in point.  This morning my principal sat down and evaluated me.  It wasn't the greatest time.  I'm in the middle of final review for my province's standardized writing exam, the dreaded PAT.  My plan was to go over the structure of the thesis statement and how it controls the organization of the entire essay.  Not exactly scintillating material. 

However, it all went well. After 15 years, I think I've figured out how to teach the essay.  But the best part was instead of doing a mundane review exercise for thesis statements with a dull prompt from a previous exam, I gave my students individual, hand-crafted prompts that were based upon something I had come to know about them over the last few weeks. I spend a lot of time letting my students talk.  As long as they are reasonably engaged in their learning tasks, I usually mingle and float around with one ear tuned into their discussions.  I learn about their lives, their habits, their hobbies, their plans at the same time I'm peering over their shoulder reading their writing or offering feedback or assistance.  So, it dawned on me that if I wanted them to really engage with this dull exercise, the best way to do that is to create a task that appeals to them.

As an aside, the Expository Pillar (see Barbara Mariconda), a method for teaching the organization necessary in the essay format is not really a priority for any grade 9 student, but, the essay, perhaps more than any other form, especially now in a time when to be a published essayist/blogger is easier than ever, gives the ordinary person a voice.  I want my students to be able to communicate clearly and efficiently because having a voice gives you some power over your life and your future. 

I was pleasantly shocked at how well the whole experience went.  Even more shocked that my grade 9 hipsters, cool cats, and seemingly blasé young adults were actually touched that I went out of my way to hand-print them a prompt, put in in an envelope, and seal it with a sticker that reflected their personality. But the most rewarding part of the lesson was how their faces lit up, how they looked up in incredulity, and how some actually laughed out loud when they saw that their prompt was about something they liked or were knowledgeable about.  And, even better, the focus and effort they put into crafting their thesis statements and body paragraphs was remarkable. 

Thesis statements are hard.  Normally, students try to dodge this practise, but today, because I listened to them, they learned something.  And, come Monday, when they have to sit down and write their PAT essay, I have the sense that they will remember how to structure their thesis statements and body paragraphs.  Not that achieving a high standard on a provincial achievement test is the end all and be all of their existence, but being able to clearly and effectively articulate their ideas, give voice to their thoughts,  and craft their future is. 

Any suggestions?  Together, let's re(vision) our practice together!