Teaching Essay Composition through Trial and Error

The path to essay composition requires trial and error.

In the GED Exam Preparation and English Preparation courses, students come with varied skills and experiences with essay composition. Over three-quarters of the adult students I have worked with this term have never written an essay. Of the quarter that have, only one understands the basic essay format and its intention.

The textbooks provide lessons and practices on what an essay should like. They offer advice on each step of the writing process. They offer practice at each of these steps. I have created an essay format video and handout to support these lessons but it is not enough. Yet, the majority of students in an asynchronous and independent online learning program either leave these lessons and practices for last or do not attempt them at all. Those small few that do often complete the essay compositions at once and submit them at once not taking the opportunity to receive and learn from feedback. The challenge then becomes doubled since it is the essay on the official GED Exams and the English Prep final exam that most students struggle with or fail.

Certainly, these students have expressed anxiety over writing essays. Over the phone, many admit defeat labelling themselves incapable of writing an essay. They lament that they never learned it the first time. They have not been in school for a long time. For those I do connect with, I am able to coach them into some confidence by breaking the tasks down into steps, telling them that most other students in the course have the same difficulty, and that no student in the course that has met me halfway has failed the essay composition.

For some students, they question the use of essay writing in their future academic life and career. To be authentic, I tell them that they may not be writing academic essays, but that they will likely doing reports, speeches, presentations and compositions that can benefit from the essay process and format. I tell them that essayer means to make an attempt. In the case of the essay, the attempt is to convince the reader of your main idea. Many of these students are pursuing careers in sales, realty, or medicine. I tell them that they can use the logic and the communication techniques formalized in an essay to make that pitch or proposal or argument. They need to see the relevance or we cannot begin learning together.

Next, I try to have them write a first draft. In both courses, an entry test in essay writing is required so that their competency level can be determined. I grade the essay in green pen (as red can be seen as violent) making positive comments, pointing out repeating errors and leaving writing suggestions. At the end of the essay, I make up to three recommendations for the next essay. If the draft is salvageable, I ask them to do a re-write, with the explanation that quality writing often comes from re-writing. Even thought they will not be able to re-write their essay exam, they will be able to revise and avoid the larger mistakes. This revision is like a re-write of the essay in their head before it hits the page. I then make sure that I call them. I reassure them that this essay is their first. If they have gaps, now we know what they are: the first step to improving. They will not spend their time "spinning their wheels" with no direction. They must give themselves permission to fail with the knowledge that it is needed for us to succeed. We know what steps to take, Students in these courses are required to have study plans. I have students then fill in these gaps as lessons to be covered in their study plan.

Now, that the students are at the table, I invite them for a synchronous workshop on essay writing. I have completed these workshops with three students in Collaborate. The students had to learn how to operate inside Collaborate, but they are motivated by the real-time connection it provides. They start writing and scribbling on the whiteboard main and supporting ideas. They start to compose thesis statements, topic sentences and closing sentences.  I pull up their first essays and we discuss my comments in full and answer their questions. I have started collecting exemplars which I hope to use in breakout rooms once my synchronous workshop numbers increase. On one occasion, I worked face-to-face with a student on similar work. He needed the face-to-face to be reassured that his teacher was indeed real and human. He needed the connection to feel competent and confident. He calls me every day now and we have made some real progress. My next step will be to do a workout composition in Google Docs real-time with one or more students. We will talk on the phone or through Collaborate as we work on the composition. This direct hands-on approach is what these students need to see that this essay composition stuff is possible.

Constructive, regular and meaningful feedback is key. I have created a template with a full rubric in Word which I combine with the student's essay in a PDF file. I use a stamp of the rubric to put in at the end of the PDF. I use the comment tools and pen to make comments, point errors and direct improvement. These pdfs which I post back inside the grade for their assignment serves as the start of the dialogue. I know that dialogue is central to teaching and learning among all of the strategies. As educators, we must have and take the time to talk with our students.