Ashley Nilson

ENG 413
Fall 2012

1

Table of Contents and Reflections
I found this course to be very informative, and I hope to use what I have learned to the
best of my abilities in any future endeavors. Though I hope to teach English Language Arts and
not English as a Second Language, I feel much more confident in my abilities to do both if the
need arises thanks to the information I received in this course and the work I have done in my
practicum. I have always considered getting my ESL certification along with my English
Language Arts teaching certificate, however now I know it is something I would definitely like
to do. And even if I do not teach ESL, it is still nice to know the best ways I can work with
students who do not come from the US or who do not speak English as their primary language.
There is so much else I have learned, but since my biggest fears and largest challenges come
from dealing with work submitted by students who are non-native English speakers, that is what
I have focused on and what I consider to be the most valuable.
Teaching/Tutoring Writing Philosophy
Page 2
Writing Assignment
Page 7
Unit Plan
Page 9
Lesson Plan
Page 11
Reflections on Practicum
Page 13
Summary/Critique of Speaking My Mind: Defending the Five-Paragraph Essay
Page 17
Summary/Critique of Encouraging Student Voice in Academic Writing
Page 19
Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

2

Teaching/Tutoring Writing Philosophy
Asking what my philosophy for teaching and tutoring writing is would be a rather loaded
question. I am just a fledgling when it comes to even tutoring, let alone teaching. And I have
never personally considered myself to be a very strong writer. I can knock out essays in no time
flat, and can analyze literature for days on end. But when it comes to non-academic writing, or
really anything that is not a persuasive essay, I do not consider myself very skilled. So trying to
figure out my philosophy for teaching something I am still working on myself is difficult.
However, there are things I know I want to try, and other things I want to avoid entirely. So
maybe, in the end, I will have a philosophy. It will just be one full of desires and do nots rather
than concrete ideas and dos.
I want to make sure my students feel confidence as writers, something I never felt much
growing up. I dont think positively of any English or writing instructor I had in my K-12
education. The best opinion I have regarding any of my past writing instructors is one where I
dont remember them at all. The ones I do remember, though, are a combination of
misinformation, harsh criticism which is too vague to be helpful, and disinterest in me as a
writer. I suppose I was one of the students in the middle ground. I was not so bad off that I
required extra attention, and I was not so outstanding that I deserved extra praise. As such, I was
the proverbial middle child of my writing instructors, forgotten and alone. I dont want any of
my students to feel that way. Each child should be encouraged and developed as a writer, and as
such they should get equal amounts of attention. If a particular student needs extra assistance, I
can always make myself available to them. However, I do not want to make any of my students
feel belittled because my attention is always devoted to those who stand out, be it for good or
bad reasons.
Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Beyond providing attention to all students, I also want to teach them that the content of
their writing is more important than the spelling and grammar. Yes, grammar and spelling are
important. Those are minor details, though, which can be worked out in a relatively short period
of time. In high school I was always under the impression that revision is more about grammar
and spelling than about organization and content. However, one thing I learned through this and
other classes I have taken is the true meaning of revision: structure and information. Everything
else is just editing. So I want my focus when teaching writing to be on revision rather than
editing. I might make a margin comment here or there if there seems to be a recurring issue with
grammar, but otherwise I would prefer to let my students focus more on what they are saying and
how they are saying it rather than on making sure they used the correct form of its.
One of my favorite methods to do this is the reverse outline, something I do myself on
almost every essay I write these days. I always used to be a one drafter, but since I learned how
to do the reverse outline in English 300 (though I did not know the name of it until this class) I
have changed to a multi-drafter. My problem was that I never figured out how to revise my
essays, since I did not have a concrete method to do so. All I would do was reread my writing
and edit it here or there. None of my earlier instructors had ever bothered to teach me how to
actually revise and not just edit, so I never understood what I was supposed to do when revising.
But having a way to look at individual paragraphs and give them each purpose allowed me to
look at my writing in a new way and taught me how to revise.
Another method I want to take advantage of as an instructor is peer workshops. I think
every class I have ever had which involves writing has had peer workshops. However, I never
used them effectively since most teachers simply told me and my peers to divide up and look
over our essays. Usually workshops would turn into editing sessions at the best and social events
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ENG 413
Fall 2012

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at the worst. I still want to use peer workshops, though. I just want to be hands-on with them. As
an instructor, I plan on giving my students more guidelines and actual goals to accomplish by the
end of each workshop. I will not let my peer workshops go down as free-for-alls without a fight.
There will be a focus point for the workshops. For example, I may tell the students to underline a
sentence that exemplifies the main point of each paragraph in the other students work, and if
they cant find a sentence then they should write what they think it should be. That way the
students have a specific task to accomplish which will hopefully help keep them more focused. I
believe its important, though, for budding writers to receive feedback from multiple sources. So
that means their peers feedback can be just as important as my own feedback on their work.
As to my feedback, until I took this class I never realized how many ways there are for
teachers to comment on a students work. My favorite, though, is and has always been margin
comments with more complete commentary at the end of the piece of writing. As I read through
students work I like to check off when they meet specific requirements (such as mentioning the
smell of a flower in an essay about the five senses) and underline things that stand out either in a
positive or negative way. Then I read the essay again and comment briefly on the underlined
portions and anything else that should be referenced. This can, as I mentioned earlier, including
editing notes, but only if it is a recurring issue. And even then, my preferred method is to note
the first instance then mention that there are more that need correcting. That way I can lead with
an example, but the student still has to accept responsibility for their own work. After that is
done I like to make my final, more detailed, comments on the piece of writing as a whole. This
method feels the most complete for me, and as a student it is the method of feedback that I
appreciate the most.
Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

5

As to lesson and unit plans I have a rather unrealistic goal. However, if I can pull it off I
think it will be a great help to me as a teacher. If you cant tell by the lesson and unit plans Ive
assembled, I like to be detail oriented and organized. This is rather ironic, because in my
personal life I am very chaotic, forgetful and disorganized. However, that may be part of why I
like being so detail oriented in my professional life: Im always worried I might forget
something. So for my lesson and unit plans I want to prepare as much as possible so that I have a
solid schedule to work with. That means writing out my plans down to the finest detail. Thats
not to say that I expect to always be able to follow my plans, things happen. However, at least I
can have a plan in place and if I miss something one day I can always go over it the next day. In
my practicum, the teacher I work with seems to wing it more often than I would feel
comfortable with. A lot of her lessons are last minute, and she seems to feel very stressed due to
this. That feeling is something I want to avoid as much as possible. Teaching is stressful enough,
without adding additional problems to my plate.
The last thing I want to touch on is also related to my planning. As a teacher, I want to
have a very actively engaged classroom. Im looking at teaching high school, and keeping
students engaged can be difficult if it is a lecture-based environment. Giving my students a
variety of projects and activities is very important to me. Not only does it help keep them
engaged, it also helps me reach different types of learners. One of my favorite parts of my unit
plan is the last minute debate which the students will each be working on. It allows me to teach
an important lesson about analyzing and creating an argument, while the students are being
active and focused on something. There is nothing a high school student enjoys more than to
argue. And being able to break down an argument and create a counter-argument is a very
important part of persuasive writing which I never learned about until I reached college. Each
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ENG 413
Fall 2012

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day in my unit plan I am giving the students a small assignment which, I hope, reinforces the
lessons they learned that day.
Well, looking over this I suppose I do have a pieced together philosophy when it comes
to teaching and tutoring writing. I want to encourage my students with both praise and
constructive criticism. Providing attention and assistance to all my students is exceptionally
important to me, rather than just focusing on the students who stand out. I want my feedback to
be specific and helpful, but not so specific that they dont have to do any work themselves.
Giving students an opportunity to get feedback from their peers is also important to me, but only
in a structured manner so that the feedback can hopefully be as constructive as possible. I want
my lesson and unit plans to be as organized and detailed as possible, but am willing to make
modifications as needed to accommodate the unexpected. I also want my students to be actively
engaged as much as possible, which requires creativity on my part to help keep them that way.
But most of all I just want my students to feel confident as writers, and I can only hope that my
work as their teacher can help them feel that way.

Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

7

Persuasive Essay Assignment
Description:

Persuasive writing is used to assert an opinion, your argument, which you defend using
supporting evidence. The goal of this is to convince the reader to agree with your opinion. There
are many ways to present evidence, which we will go over in class. The reasoning you provide in
the paper should lead to a logical conclusion which completes your argument. You will have to
include at least one outside source to support your argument within the essay as a means to
increase your credibility.

Your argument should be summed up in a single sentence, your thesis. The thesis is the
foundation of your essay, and the entire paper should be in support of that sentence. We will
work more on writing an effective thesis in class.

Requirements:

Length: 2-3 pages
Include an introduction and conclusion surrounding the body of the essay
Have a clear argument written in the form of a thesis statement
Include at least three main points supporting the thesis
Include information on an opposing point of view, and use it to strengthen your argument
Use at least once outside source, with citations, but the main argument should be your
own
Use MLA citations and formatting: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/1/

Audience:

Your peers and I are your audience. Do not assume that we are knowledgeable about your topic
of choice, so your objective is to not only persuade us but also to educate us on exactly why we
should agree with your opinion.

Writers Voice:

This is an academic paper, so maintain a formal voice. Avoid using I, and try to utilize
language which increases your credibility. Remember, you are trying to persuade your audience
to agree with you, and so you want them to believe you are a knowledgeable source.

Due Dates:

11/2 Thesis & Outline Due
11/14 1st Rough Draft Due
11/27 2nd Rough Draft Due (3 copies)
11/29 Final Draft Due

Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Persuasive Writing Unit Plan

Monday 10/29 1 hour 30 minutes Assignment Introduction
First ten minutes: Wrap up last lesson plan, collect any outstanding homework
Scheduled activities:
o Introduce assignment: Persuasive essay
o Explain the purpose of a persuasive essay
o Explain brainstorming and brainstorm one idea in the large group
o Individually brainstorm ideas for individual essays if time permits
Homework: Think of 5 potential topics for a persuasive essay for 10/31

Wednesday 10/31 1 hour 10 minutes Thesis Explanation
First ten minutes: Ask for volunteers to mention their favorite topic ideas from their own
lists
Scheduled activities:
o Crafting a thesis and discussion of what makes a successful thesis
o Small group discussion of potential theses, narrow to one argument per person
o Individually work on thesis if time permits
Homework: Write up a working thesis and tentative outline of the essay for 11/2

Friday 11/2 1 hour 30 minutes Supporting an Argument
First ten minutes: Check to make sure homework was done, do not collect
Scheduled activities:
o Discuss the main points of an argument (claim, support, warrant) and identify
each in sample arguments
o Discuss the 5 ways to support an argument (personal experience, facts and
statistics, examples and (positive or negative) effects, compare/contrast,
definitions) and discuss which ones were used in sample arguments
o Divide class into pro and con for argument presentation (potentially use large
group idea developed on first day of unit)
Homework: Draft brief oral argument with thesis and 3 main points, bring in short outline
of argument due 11/6

Tuesday 11/6 1 hour 30 minutes Oral Argument Presentations
First ten minutes: Collect argument outlines
Scheduled activities:
o Present oral arguments in discussion format, alternating between sides
o Large group discussion about what worked and what didnt work in each sides
argument
Homework: Write a short summary (1-2 paragraphs) of the main points of the opposing
side, what worked and what didnt, and how you would use their claims to support your
own argument due 11/8


Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Thursday 11/8 1 hour 30 minutes Structure and Organization
First ten minutes: Collect summaries
Scheduled activities:
o Organization/structure of a persuasive essay
o Work on rough drafts individually
Homework: 1
st
rough draft due 11/14

Monday 11/12 No school (Veterans Day)

Wednesday 11/14 1 hour 10 minutes Making Points Work for the Argument
First ten minutes: Collect rough draft
Scheduled activities:
o Vocabulary of an argument handout with brief explanation
o Making each paragraph work for the argument, not against it
o Read an example persuasive essay and assign small groups to discuss strengths
and weaknesses of each main point and change the point to better support the
argument
o Bring changes into the larger group to discuss
Homework: Write a short summary (1-2 paragraphs) of the main points of your argument
and what they do to support your thesis due 11/16

Friday 11/16 1 hour 30 minutes Outside Sources and MLA
First ten minutes: Return rough draft with notes
Scheduled activities:
o Pass out MLA handout
o How to use outside sources effectively
o Go over persuasive paper checklist
o Work on 2
nd
rough draft individually
Homework: 2
nd
copy rough draft due 11/27 (3 copies)

Monday 11/19 Friday 11/23 No school (Parent Teacher Conferences and Thanksgiving)

Tuesday 11/27 1 hour 30 minutes - Workshopping
First ten minutes: Collect 1 copy of 2
nd
rough draft
Scheduled activities:
o Discuss how to do an effective workshop (content based, not editing; not getting
personal; constructive criticism rather than criticism)
o Workshop rough drafts in small groups
Homework: Final draft due 11/29

Thursday 11/29 1 hour 30 minutes Wrap Up
First ten minutes: Collect final draft
Scheduled activities:
o Introduce new unit
Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Persuasive Writing Unit Plan
Lesson Plan Thesis Explanation 10/31

Total Class Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

10 Minutes: [Large Group] Homework rehash
o Ask for volunteers to tell the class their favorite persuasive essay topics
20 Minutes: [Large Group] Crafting a thesis
o Explain what a thesis is and provide examples (est. 10 min)
Example: High school graduates should be required to take a year off to
pursue community service projects before entering college in order to
increase their maturity and global awareness.
The paper that follows should present an argument and give
evidence to support the claim that students should pursue
community projects before entering college
Use a suggested topic to create another example as a group
o Explain the importance of making a specific, narrow, thesis statement (est. 5 min)
For the writer
A good thesis controls the writing of the paper. It gives it direction.
If something in the paper isnt linked to the thesis, either that
information needs to be taken out, or the thesis needs to be
changed.
For the reader
A good thesis is like arrows painted on the floor of a maze; it
shows the reader where to start, stop, and turn so that they can find
their way to the end.
It helps the reader know what the paper is about, so that they dont
have to guess.
o Dos and Donts of a thesis (est. 5 min)
Dont use language that waters down or delays your point, be direct
Do take some sort of position or stand, have an argument to defend
Dont express a personal opinion in your thesis
Do make the reader want to know more, think of it like an amuse bouche
20 Minutes: [Small Group] (3-5 people) Thesis discussion (est. 5 min grouping, 15 min
discussion)
o Discuss potential topics from homework
o Determine if any could make a plausible thesis
o Narrow to one topic/thesis per person
15 Minutes: [Individual] Brainstorm thesis (time permitting)
o Work on thesis statement for chosen essay topic
5 Minutes: [Large Group] Assign Homework
o Write up a working thesis and tentative outline of the essay for 11/2


Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Reflections on Practicum
For the practicum this term, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Mrs. Henise
Telles-Ferreria from Roosevelt High School. She is an ESL teacher at the school, working with
students from grades 9-12 with English proficiencies ranging from moderate beginners to highly
advanced. Though she sometimes has students who are level 1, which is to say that they have no
knowledge of English at all, there are no students in that level at Roosevelt High school as of
right now. Since scheduling was an issue for me, rather than working with one class through the
entire term, I spent almost the entire school day (8:15am-1:50pm) every other Wednesday and
Friday with Henise. This allowed me to assist her during a planning period and also to work with
students in ESL levels 2, 3 and 4. The level 4 students have the highest proficiency and will no
longer require ESL classes when they test out of that level.
Each level of ESL has its own peculiarities to deal with. Although the ages vary from
class to class, since the classes are separated by English abilities and not by grade level, there are
some interesting things to note about each level. The higher ESL level students were less rowdy
in class and seemed more focused than the lower level students. Im not sure the exact reason,
though I have a theory that its because the level 4 students are closer to testing out and therefore
have a goal to achieve while the level 2 and 3 students are still a ways away from that
achievement. Also, there are about half the students in the level 4 class than there are in either
the level 2 or 3.
Each class has been focusing on different topics as we progressed through the term. I
spent the least amount of time with the level 4 students, so I was never able to get a strong grasp
on the theme of their lesson. However, an interesting assignment they received over the
Thanksgiving break was to read an article in a magazine and then summarize the article into a
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ENG 413
Fall 2012

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paragraph. I thought this was a really good way to not only determine the students grasp of
English, but would also assist them when they begin taking mainstream English classes where
they have to get the meat out of a piece of literature. Each of the students appeared interested in
reading the article and seemed excited about the prospect of the homework.
The level 2 and 3 ESL classes were the ones I dealt with the most. In the level 2 class we
have been working on financial terms and transactions. The focus of this class level is getting
basic grammar and vocabulary figured out. Concept based writing does not come into play until
later levels. The largest project which involved writing was one where the students had to write
up a role play in which they make a bank transaction, using terms we discussed in class. My
largest challenge in dealing with students from this class has been helping them to figure out
proper grammar and terminology on their own without blatantly telling them what the answer
was. So many of these students get frustrated because their speaking abilities surpass their
writing abilities by a large margin. They just cant seem to get what they want to say on paper.
They will write something out, and when I ask them to tell me what they are writing the students
will give me a grammatically correct sentence. But what theyve actually written usually has
tense problems or subject-verb disagreements. So its hard to give them hints and not outright tell
them what the problem is with what is written on the paper.
With the level 3 students we have a completely different focus on writing. Since the
students have passed the grammatical trials and tribulations of level 2, any grammatical problems
they have when writing can usually be sorted out by the student without much prompting on the
part of Henise or me. Rather, the difficulties lie entirely in content and understanding. Most of
the Roosevelt High ESL students come from Africa or the Middle East, and many of those
students have had little to no educational background before coming to the US. This issue
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ENG 413
Fall 2012

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became especially apparent when working with the students on their unit project, an expository
essay about the students favorite singer or athlete. This is the first essay most of these students
have ever written, and as such it has been difficult instructing them in the concepts of an essay.
After much instruction, Henise was able to nail down the idea of a thesis statement and an
opening and concluding paragraph. However, organizing the essay and expanding on statements
the students make has proved problematic.
The students will make a statement like Adele has the best voice, but getting them to
write more about why they think her voice is so good or what it makes them feel is like pulling
teeth. On top of that, they all seemed to have issues writing out their thoughts in an organized
manner. The paragraphs go from topic to topic then loop back around again multiple times. A
solution Henise found to counteract this was to break down the essay more. So one day we spent
the entire period writing a biographical paragraph. She listed specific points which needed to be
in the paragraph, such as a date of birth, hometown, family, and something about the subjects
childhood. I wrote up an example paragraph about a singer none of the students were working on
so that they could have a base to work off of, and we went from there. This seemed to work
really well, since almost all of the students had cohesive biographical paragraphs written by the
end of the class period. I wasnt able to attend the next class period, though, so I dont know how
the following paragraph breakdown went. In any event, though, working with the ESL students
has been challenging, it has also been really fun. I found helping the students improve their
writing to be both enjoyable and rewarding.

Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Speaking My Mind: Defending the Five-Paragraph Essay
Byung-In Seo

The English Journal, Vol. 97, No. 2 (Nov., 2007), pp. 15-16
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30046782

When I first began Byung-In Seos article which defends her use of the five-paragraph
essay as a teaching method, I was prepared to argue against it all day long. However, after
reading her article, I find myself agreeing with her more than disagreeing. She does not present
the five-paragraph essay as the solution to every writing situation. Rather, she describes it as a
tool to help students build stronger writing skills. Throughout her essay, Seo uses the analogy of
building a home to be like building a writer. You have to start with a strong foundation and
sturdy structure before creativity and variations can come into play.
Seo works primarily with remedial high school students who read and write well below
grade level. As such, many of them have problems forming coherent and structured thoughts
when speaking, which make the idea of organizing their writing almost impossible (16).
Because of this, Seo teaches the five-sentence paragraph to these students at the start of the year.
When they have mastered that, she moves on to the five-paragraph essay, complete with an
introduction and conclusion. It is a very rigid method of instruction. This can, as her peer critics
say, stifle at-risk students' creativity and originality (16). Seo does not deny that entirely.
However, at the same time, she finds it more important to instruct her students in building a
strong foundation through teaching them how to learn and apply organization skills to their
writing before any creativity could be explored (16). After her students have mastered the
foundation of their writing, the five-paragraph essay, she welcomes them to add their own
creative touches. But first, they have to have a starting point.
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ENG 413
Fall 2012

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I find myself agreeing with Seo regarding the need for a strong foundation to work off of.
As they say, you must first learn the rules before you can break them. With students who are
already strong writers, forcing them to use a rigid format such as the five-paragraph essay can be
overkill. It is pointless to require a student to use a form them have already mastered, especially
if they are writing in an organized format. However, for students who are remedial writers or are
just learning to write essays due to other reasons, teaching the five-paragraph essay can be a very
helpful tool. It will allow them to learn how to structure and organize their writing in a cohesive
manner. And once they understand the necessity for structure and it is familiar to them, they can
take off and become creative and as original as they want. But first, they must learn the basics.

Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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Encouraging Student Voice in Academic Writing
Rebecca Gemmell

The English Journal, Vol. 98, No. 2 (Nov., 2008), pp. 64-68
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40503385

Rebecca Gemmell is an English teacher who was finding herself dreading reading her
students essays. The problem she was finding with their work, the reason why she
procrastinated as much as possible before reading and grading the assignments, was they all
sounded the same, not at all like the lively, diverse group or students 1 enjoyed working with in
my classroom (64). Gemmell noticed a huge disconnect between the essays she was grading
and the students who produced them. For the most part, the students were simply parroting her
words back to her. There was no creativity or original thought involved in the academic papers,
just dry analysis. However, she did notice a change in voice when she modified what the students
were to write about. Gemmell noticed that she got more passionate and convincing arguments
from students when I asked them to write about their connections and reactions to texts and their
themes rather than when I asked them to write about character analysis, tone, and symbolism
(64).
Since Gemmells entire goal was to prepare her students for college, she was concerned
that giving the students too much leeway with which to express their own opinions would stifle
their abilities to produce viable college-level academic writing. However, her work with the
California Writing Project's Improving Students' Academic Writing program gave her insight
that colleges are looking for more voice from their students, and that college students are
expected to respond to others' ideas and express their own (65). This was the push she needed to
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ENG 413
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implement a change in her lessons in order to encourage her students to feel the freedom to write
about their own thoughts and opinions.
The most useful tool she used to assist this change was the writers notebook. Every day
Gemmell would give her students a prompt to free-write on, one which can (however loosely) be
related to what they are reading or doing in class. After the students finished their free-write, she
would open the floor for sharing and a discussion on what is shared. Since it is a graded activity,
Gemmell was always guaranteed to get at least a few responses every day. The prompts and
discussions fueled the students for their own essays, providing them with a rich basis of ideas to
work from. However, she did still have some problems getting her students to write outside the
box: [the students] didn't believe that it was OK to express their opinion in an "academic" essay.
They'd been taught that there was no place for personal opinion, only analysis (65). With gentle
encouragement and perseverance, though, Gemmell was finally able to move her students from
dry, uniform essays into creative, thoughtful pieces of writing. As she says at the end of the
article, giving her students the freedom to express their ideas and opinions has freed
students' voices. They know that I care about what they have to say, and in turn, they care more
about what they write. They produce better writing - writing that sounds like them and that I
enjoy reading (68).




Ashley Nilson
ENG 413
Fall 2012

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As I was taking a break from finishing my portfolio, I stumbled upon this little gem on a humor-
based website. Im not including it for any reason other than the fact that I think you may find it
as humorous as I did.