I walked into my Junior English classroom to see the basics of writing complete sentences on the board:
- Begins with a capital letter.
- Ends with punctuation.
- Has a subject.
That is not to say, however, that they did not have proficiency in other areas. For example, I learned that the majority of the class has a great talent for writing poetry! They had been working on Langston Hughes' "Theme for English B" and writing their own personal variation of the poem. Many of the students took to this with the same enthusiasm as they would when asked to write in a journal as their poem became an outlet for some of the frustrations in their life. This can potentially provide myself and their teacher with great insight into their daily lives.
However, I still find their lack of knowledge in writing simple sentences concerning and cannot help but wonder what is being taught in English classrooms that is taking the place of this most basic and necessary skill. As such, I intend to make writing a focal point for some of my future lessons. Therefore, my goal this semester is to pay close attention to those most basic skills needed for success that my students may be lacking and assist them in developing them.
Everyone knows that good intentions can often go awry, though, and I am worried about the students recognizing the simplicity of such lessons and viewing them as an insult. Thus, how do I teach secondary English students the same lessons as their elementary counterparts?
