Writing: It's About The Process

In the third chapter about essay writing in Linda Christensen's Teaching For Joy And Justice, Christensen explains that receiving good writing from students takes time, and that there needs to be more of a focus on student progress, rather than the final product (Christensen 132). This can be accomplished if educators teach writing, which is a big difference than simply assigning writing. As teachers, allowing students time in the classroom to work on their writing and providing instruction and feedback during the process will not only help students improve in their skills, but inspire them to write that essay that excites them, one that could maybe even be called, as Christensen's student proclaimed, "fire." In this chapter, Christensen explains the steps of a paper and how helping students in each step will lead to better writing. The step that stuck out to me the most was generating thesis statements, and how a good one will guide an essay.

In my middle and high school days, writing a thesis statement in an essay was the first component that needed to be completed before beginning the essay. I needed to read the assignment description and come up with a proper thesis according to what I wanted to write about. My thesis also had some guidelines, including that it needed to be the last sentence of the introductory paragraph and had to be three parts. An example of this could look like this: "In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald implements themes of love, success, and wealth into the novel." Pretty lame, right? Well, this is what the guidelines were and it was my job to follow them. The following paragraphs would serve to support my thesis, including contextual background, quotes, and analysis. And to wrap it up, my conclusion would be a restatement of my robotic thesis. When I entered college and my first year writing teacher told me that my thesis didn't need to be three parts, I was shocked. Writing a thesis that wasn't three parts made me uneasy at first because the thesis felt unfinished and weak. In actuality, the reason why I was feeling this way was because I didn't know how to write a thesis statement. I was pushed through school following a formula, simply asked to insert words where I felt they should be. It took me until the end of my freshman year of college to be able to write a strong thesis statement, and I don't want the same for my students. Christensen provides characteristics of a good thesis statement, as well as teaching strategies that'll help students understand how to write one.

Christensen reflects on her past teaching strategies in her section about thesis statements, admitting that she would have her students write their thesis statements before collecting their evidence, which is the way my teachers had me do it, also (Christensen 124). Now, to make sure the thesis statement connects with the evidence, she has students collect their evidence first before developing a strong and relevant thesis statement. Christensen remembers that in her early years of teaching, she would make the process of writing a thesis rule-driven and technical, such as the dreaded three-part thesis, which lost her students from the learning (Christensen 125). What she recommends now for her students is to have a working idea of how the essay will develop, and to change the thesis along the way according to the evidence. I think this is a great way to write an essay, because it's challenging students to find evidence according to an idea first, and then to craft a meaningful thesis around it. I believe that this will make the essay more coherent with a stronger message.

Christensen's purpose of this section, which is to teach writing rather than to assign writing, is seen through her suggested strategies in helping students develop a thesis statement. An interactive strategy she uses with her students is called a "Thesis Wall" where students start with writing one or two of their potential thesis statements on pieces of paper and sharing them with their partner (Christensen 125). This models the think-pair-share strategy of a lesson where students first brainstorm their ideas and then share their ideas with their partner to get constructive feedback. As the partners are working together, the teacher will move around the room to scaffold the students, providing helpful feedback and suggestions as the students are revising their statements. After this, the thesis statements will be posted on the wall so that the class can participate in a museum walk, reading the thesis statements and discussing each one as a class. This style of teaching is a way the teacher models what an effective thesis statement looks like. I like this lesson because it is an interactive, helpful way for students to work together and bring their ideas together. This is something I will certainly keep in mind when I am teaching how to write a purposeful essay, because Christensen's strategies and teaching philosophies are not only different from what I was taught, but are more beneficial and meaningful for students.