Dr. Louis' Blog

Dear Teachers,

For Teacher Appreciation Week, I thought I would share with you a document that one of my favorite English teachers gave me when I became a teacher.  My, how times have changed!

RULES FOR TEACHERS--1872

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys.

1. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day's session.

1. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.

1. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.

1. After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

1. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.

1. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.

1. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity, and honesty.

1. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.

They had me at chimneys . . .

I hope that your students know how hard you work to make their lives better! From one teacher to another, keep the faith! Happy Teacher Week.

Much love and admiration to you,

Dr. Dr'

This speech is from Jane's papers. It is in our nature as human beings to reminisce at times like this, and I am no exception.  I have a stern face but a soft heart, and  I would like to give you a glimpse of the days of our lives in the classroom.

It is a morning like any other morning.  Nathan wanders in late, mumbles his customary "I overslept," and consults with Jessica about the yearbook.  I'd be disappointed if he didn't.   I eavesdrop while I take roll--Megan hopes her cold will be gone by prom night; Elizabeth's cell phone rings; others are signing yearbooks, writing promises of eternal friendship.

From the deep reaches of the classroom, with Star Trek posters on one wall and another poster in front that says, "This isn't Burger King; you can't have it your way,"  I hear the usual chatter of children, but I'm reluctant to cut it off--for this moment is theirs.  It is the last day before summer, and they are seniors in high school.

Nevertheless, there were details to attend to--giving grade printouts, collecting textbooks, reviewing the graduation schedule.  Here was my final moment with them before they stepped out of my classroom into adulthood.  A teacher wonders just what difference she has made.  Even though Hamlet's decision was worlds away from theirs, will they ever think of him when vacillating between two points of action?  Will they remember Robert Frost's statement that "Home is the place where, when you have to go there/They have to take you in?" Will they think of Brave New World when they read about cloning human beings?

Some will be headed off to college, that crucible of growing up after the short space of summer to experience the magic of  emancipation.  They'll learn a few facts, but they will also learn that they can--go to classes or not go, without nagging, even without notice--eat anything, anytime, without cleaning up afterward --stay up all night, or stay in bed all day--wear the same socks for a month--fall in love and out of love,  all without criticism from parents.

Glorious freedom--they may even find it hurts.  They will learn that clothes don't wash themselves, that a steady diet of pizza is unsatisfactory, that love and life are more complicated than they imagined as the world lay before them.  I want to remind them of some old rules in life:  that everything has its cost, that two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead, that life is what happens when you have other plans. But I would feel a little foolish, like Polonius giving pompous advice to his son.

Teachers play many parts: counselor, parent, Dear Abby advice giver, social worker, coach.  We can be a difficult lot sometimes.  We are the bossiest people I know.  We all have the teacher voice.  We use it to order people around and get a paycheck for it.  We discipline other people's children in public: supermarkets, shopping malls, airplanes, amusement parks.  We figure it's our right and our obligation to humanity to do so.Every teacher knows that the saving grace in this job is the kids.   We deal with everything from the trivial to the traumatic, from "Can I borrow a pencil?" and "Is the cafeteria selling Arby's today?" to "I couldn't do my essay last night--Things aren't so good at home right now."  We hope our classrooms are an oasis in adolescence, islands filled with rigorous academics and relentless caring.   We stay in this profession because of a deep and abiding sense of commitment. I have tried to keep children safe and out of harm's way, to prevent their suffering and allay their fears.  My parents were both alcoholics--in a group this size, a good many of you also grew up in alcoholic homes--and so, high school was a refuge and a sanctuary for me.

My father was in the Navy, and I attended fourteen schools from kindergarten through college.  In high school, I discovered that my French teacher always came in early, and I hung out in her classroom each morning before first period.  Since my goal was not to go home until I had to, I joined the drama club, because drama kids never go home.  School gave me a safe haven when I needed one, and I have tried to repay the debt, to pay it forward, as a teacher.  Appreciation is a wonderful thing, for it makes what is good in others belong to us as well.

But now [. . .,] it's time for me to go.  To my students, past and present, you have been a joy to me for thirty-two years.  And to the seniors, I wish you that same joy in your life's work as I have found in mine.  I cannot imagine a more glorious or more rewarding way to go through this life. Thank you.

Dear Dr. D',

In the past, as 7^th grade teachers we have stuck with the one, two, or three-chunk JS single paragraphs. Last year as our students completed the SBAC, they were confused with questions that required them to compose a two-paragraph, or multi-paragraph essay. You mentioned in your last email to talk to them about “chunking,” but how does chunking look when you are adding more than one paragraph. About half of us in our English Department have never been formally trained in JS, so we are sort of piecing it together along the way.

Dear Carrie:

“Chunking” is specifically used with regard to paragraph development. Each paragraph in a multiparagraph essay may have one or more chunks (typically, any more than three chunks would beg for a new paragraph, so I like it that you are writing one to three chunks per paragraph). “Chunking” is a term used within a body paragraph. So, let’s say that a prompt asks the student to write a multiparagraph essay about the main character in a novel:

• Introduction
• Body Paragraph 1 (1 chunk)*:

• TS – Gives an attribute about the character (e.g. generous)
• CD – Evidence from the text (that shows his generosity - could be a paraphrase, but I train teachers to train their kids to embed quotes – higher scores)
• CM – How his generosity plays a major part in that part of the story
• CM – How his generosity relates to a theme in the piece, or maybe a statement of universal truth about generosity
• CS – tie the character’s attribute of generosity to the story, to the universal theme, and to the author’s purpose
• Body Paragraph 2 (2-chunk)

• TS - Another attribute about that character (gets taken advantage of)
• Evidence from the text (illustrates a situation in which he gets taken advantage of)
• CM
• CM+
• More evidence from the text (another situation in which he gets taken advantage of)
• CM
• CM+
• Concluding Sentence
• Body Paragraph 3 (another attribute)
• Body Paragraph 4 (another attribute)
• Conclusion

*Now, Carrie. I want to talk to you about the above listing of sentences, and I'm going to deal formally with this CONTROVERSY next week. Remember, Jane started this program to help kids no longer have to stare at a blank page or look up to us with that helpless look that we all hate to see in their little faces. We teach them that "Writing is Thinking." We train them at first to separate CDs from CMs (like above). We do that so that we can test their cognitive understanding of the difference between evidence (CD) and commentary (CM). We teach them to build upon each sentence, and as each student gains confidence, we'll say to that student, "Some sentences provide Concrete Details (CDs), some sentences provide Commentary (CMs), and some sentences (when we understand what we are doing and we have intention), contain both CDs and CMs (what Jane called WEAVING). You are ready to weave, young man or lady!"Therefore, what you are seeing above is where we begin -- where we are separating CDs from CMs to help the students understand that in a Response to Literature "chunk," the ratio that gets highest grades is 1:2+ (CD:CM). Translated, the 1:2+ ratio means, "Student, for every piece of evidence you give me, either as a paraphrase or an embedded quotation, I want at least two or more sentences of commentary."Once the students get comfortable with understanding the difference between CDs and CMs (and this can happen in middle school or high school, depending on the student), then we teach individual students to start combining their thoughts, and this can happen in all sorts of different ways:

• they might want to start with a CM idea and integrate a CD into that sentence;
• they might want to have several sentences of CM ideas first before they provide their evidence (CDs).

But with Response to Literature essay, a Literary Analysis, or a Rhetorical Analysis, we want more CMs. When we first start teaching, we require students to give us those CMs in sentences. When they are ready, we talk about WEAVING their thoughts and their evidence together. WEAVING goes beyond the strict, foundational structure. So a CHUNK helps students understand the ratio of combining their evidence with their opinions.I'll talk more about this next week when I talk about the misconception about Jane Schaffer being formulaic. Then, the following week, I'll talk about the various modes of discourse, and how those ratios change. In the meantime,Keep Writing (and Reading),Dr. D'

Dear Dr. Louis,

I recently gave my students the following prompt:  “Write an essay explaining why hard work is necessary to be successful.”  My District Coordinator told me that [the students' responses] were not showing the “hard work”  required in the prompt; thus, not answering the “What” in the CDs they wrote. One of my students pointed out that our prompt is asking “why” not “what.” Does this mean that in our CDs we should focus more on the “Why” for a “why essay” and the “What” for a “what essay.”

- David

‍

‍From Dr. D’,

Hi, David:

From the mouths of babes . . .! Your student's question speaks volumes, and I am so glad s/he asked it. Students cannot read our minds, so our prompts need to be designed to give them as much clarity as possible, and that could be done by giving them a prompt, such as “Write an essay explaining why hard work is necessary to be successful. Provide evidence to support your answer.”

However, and this is a big "however" -- even if a teacher or professor does not put the last sentence above in the prompt, the “What” is implied when writing an academic, logical response to a writing prompt. The "What" is the evidence, the proof, the example, the support -- what Jane called the Concrete Detail or CD.

Let me provide a little more information:

The “Why” answer to a prompt is usually found in the following color-coded sentences in a multiparagraph essay:

• Introduction

• Thesis
• Body Paragraph
• Topic Sentence (TS)
• Commentary (CM)
• Concluding Sentence (CS)
• Conclusion

The “What” or Concrete Detail (CD) is placed in the body paragraph after the topic sentence and before the concluding sentence, depending on the type of writing and the level of expertise. Here's another look!

• Introduction

• Thesis
• Body Paragraph
• Topic Sentence (TS)
• Concrete Detail (CD)
• Concrete Detail (CD)
• Commentary (CM)
• Concluding Sentence (CS)
• Conclusion

(Note: The above structure is the foundation for an expository paragraph, but remember -- weaving is the advanced move once the students understand the structure.)

Example Brainstorming, Phrases, Sentences (Divided into the Why’s and the What’s!

Thesis = Hard work pays off in the long run (the Why).

Topic Sentence = Going beyond a high school education requires dedication and hard work, but the result can be rewarding (the Why).

CD = 4 years of college (CD), expenses with tuition and books, time devoted to studying (the What of Hard Work).

CD = Research shows that people with a college education make more money than people without a college education (the What - data).

CM = Rewards come from learning discipline, time management, and other skills that can be applied in life (the Why).

CM = With a college education, a person has more options with regard to a career (the Why).

CS = Getting an advanced education is no easy task, but the hard work can result in both tangible and intangible benefits (the Why).

Another Sample

Why – to win in sports (TS)

What – Julian Edelman, the New England Patriots wide receiver arrives at the Patriots’ workout facility every day at 5:00 A.M. (CD - example of hard work).

Why – Athletes must always hone their skills in order to have the edge over other players (CM).

Why – Talent is important, but Super Bowls are also won by hard work and dedication (CM).

(Note: Weaving and ratios are not addressed in this answer.)

Keep writing,

Dr. D'

Dear Dr. D', I’m concerned that, since everything is so new, the students do not understand how those individual sheets connect to the big picture of writing?

Answer:

Start with a final piece.  Show them a sample of the end result.  This will help them understand how we start with the steps in the thinking process which leads to processed writing!.  Remember, the more mature writers they become, the less tangible steps they will have to take.  The process will become more organic with them.  What we’re doing is providing them with cognitive organizers to help with the difficult process of creating logical, organized thoughts in written form.I tell the students that I would like for them to master the process as just one more tools in their toolboxes. I teach them all types of skills. This is one great one, but it is not the only one. I say, "I'm going to provide you with the knowledge to learn many skills. Learn this one in its entirety. Then, as you become better in your writing, you will naturally start letting go of the hands-on steps because you will have internalized them. In other words, they'll become a part of your thinking process, and you'll not need the graphic organizers. Trust me."

Dear Dr. D', Could you review the conclusion portion of the argument essay and the expository essay?  I’m still struggling with that part.

Answer:

Sure.  Let’s start with expository.  Go to your expository packet and turn to the page on conclusions and look at the left columns.#1 reads “Start with your topic and finish your sentence with words you haven’t used before.”  As you can tell, this is language for students, but let me clarify it a little.  We know that the first sentence of a conclusion is a restatement of the thesis statement.  Students sometimes repeat the thesis statement, and we want to avoid this at all costs.  One idea for preventing repetition is to web-off-the-topic like we Web-Off-the-Word™ for Commentary and Web-Off-the-Topic Sentence™.  Also, in the commentary portions of the T-charts and WOW sheets, students might find words and phrases that they have not used in their body paragraphs and that are broad enough to use in the thesis restatement.#2 reads “Use one or more of these sentence starters to think of some thoughts.”  Remember, the “sentence starters” are triggers and are not to be used in the actual sentence; otherwise, everyone’s essays will look and sound the same.  The purpose of a “sentence starter” is to prompt the student’s thinking.  Interestingly, the student has six sentence starters from which to choose, but, if a kid gets going, sometimes several sentences in the conclusion might stem from these promptings.  Remember, these are ideas; ask students to experiment.  The prompt, the topic, and the student’s writing style/voice will guide him or her to the “sentence starter” that prompts a response that “feels” like a conclusion, a reflection of the essay as a whole.  And, even though Jane offers ideas to students like “In conclusion, as a result,” etc., she offers that for triggers, too.  So beginning writers in the early grades might begin with “In conclusion,” but we want writers to learn quickly to cross out “In conclusion,” and simply capitalize the next word to start their conclusion. Be careful not to let the students start or end every paragraph or every essay with the same words.  Way too contrived.#3 reads “Finish with an anecdote or story that reminds your reader of the introduction to your essay.”  Again, this is an idea not a mandate.  If an anecdote is not appropriate for the topic, or if a student cannot readily think of a zinger anecdote that leaves the reader with a thorough understanding of the writer’s intention in the previous paragraphs, do not use one.  But, sometimes, just sometimes, an anecdote is perfect at the end.#4 reads “Use ideas from your introduction chart that you didn’t use in your introduction.”  In addition to an anecdote, Jane provides other suggestions to begin an introduction, such as a rhetorical question, a quotation, an interior monologue.  Again, only suggestions to prompt the student’s thinking. I avoid rhetorical questions with the younger students (<11^th grade); otherwise, I get a rhetorical question every time! There are those rare students who can do it well, no matter what age . . .The persuasive conclusion is very similar. Go to that packet’s conclusion page, and you will see.  The only admonition I will give you is that teaching connotation and denotation is crucial prior to teaching persuasion.  Students must learn to select words carefully (diction).  In persuasion/argumentation, this is especially true.

The length?  Well, that’s an author’s call, and I tell the students that a conclusion should have a finished feeling.  For process papers, don’t rush out of an essay, but don’t belabor the points either.  Leave your reader thinking that you created a well-developed, organized, logical exposition. Leave them wanting to read more of your work.  Teachers might want to determine a word count or a sentence count for the younger kids and struggling writers; hopefully, however, the more mature they become, the more they’ll understand the concept and take ownership of a conclusion.More on Counting Words and Sentences - When Jane first developed the program, teachers asked her about number of words per paragraph, and she suggested that for a 40-minute timed writing (AP Lit), the students should have 40+ words for intro and conclusion (emphasis on strong thesis) and 100+ words for each paragraph, the emphasis being placed on the + sign. Whenever Jane provided numbers or ideas, however, they were not prescriptive – just a way to help teachers, especially rookie ones, with a way to negotiate their students’ writing practice and progress.When teachers ask about counting words, we typically turn our attention to the subject of sentence variety.  We advise that not only should sentences vary in types (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex), but also sentences should vary in their openings (not every sentence should be Subject-Verb-Object; watch out for repeating words, unless they are intentionally implementing anaphora; look at starting with different parts of speech, etc.) and their lengths. So, we tell students, “if all of your sentences are 5-7 words, then that becomes monotonous. You should have some long sentences, some telegraphic sentences, some medium sentences, depending on your purpose and the purpose/intention of each sentence. Counting words, then, help students to create a variety. In Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” the first sentence is 60 words in length. I love to show them that when they complain about my asking for compound-complex sentences.

DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.