I have been working for months now, teaching my students how to write an essay. For the most part, I am very happy with everyone's progress. On the other hand, I have several students who choose to write their ENTIRE essay as a conversation. I have tried everything I know to show them that this is not how is should be done and is honestly harder on them to try and do it this way. For example, for the last essay, students wrote about a day they found a magic carpet. They wrote about what they did, where they went and what they saw. (This is practice for a timed writing assessment we have coming up next week.) This is an example of what I got:
Mom, where were you? I'll lay down on the carpet. Whoosh! I'm flying and can't control it. Mom! Anyone!
Okay, don't panic, I am only 37,000 feet in the air. Hey, there is Air Force One.
EEKS! This is what I am trying to teach them not to do! I am hoping for some suggestions...anything at all, at this point! :)
On 1/25/09, Anna wrote: > Hello! I teach 5th grade and am running into a problem > this year that I have never faced before. Hopefully, some > of you wonderful teachers out there can offer some advice! > > I have been working for months now, teaching my students > how to write an essay. For the most part, I am very happy > with everyone's progress. On the other hand, I have > several students who choose to write their ENTIRE essay as > a conversation. I have tried everything I know to show > them that this is not how is should be done and is > honestly harder on them to try and do it this way. For > example, for the last essay, students wrote about a day > they found a magic carpet. They wrote about what they did, > where they went and what they saw. (This is practice for a > timed writing assessment we have coming up next week.) > This is an example of what I got: > > Mom, where were you? I'll lay down on the carpet. Whoosh! > I'm flying and can't control it. Mom! Anyone! > > Okay, don't panic, I am only 37,000 feet in the air. Hey, > there is Air Force One. > > EEKS! This is what I am trying to teach them not to do! I > am hoping for some suggestions...anything at all, at this > point! :)