eSchool News
DECEMBER 20, 2024
His essay, Money Cant Buy Happiness, included valuable reflections on emotional fulfillment and references to The Great Gatsby, yet his ideas were scattered and the language needed refinement. For example, students can prompt ChatGPT with Help me outline a persuasive essay on solar energy, and it will provide a structured outline.
Catlin Tucker
DECEMBER 19, 2014
In the past I’ve had students write a timed five-paragraph argument essay about whether Montag, from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, is a conformist or nonconformist. My students had already written four essays this year, so I decided to ditch the essay. Similarly, I have students who are great test takers.
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Edsurge
DECEMBER 8, 2023
As the college essay program manager for Write the World, a nonprofit writing organization for teens, I oversee a group of advisers who guide students through the essay writing process. I have seen firsthand the anxiety that students experience when it comes to writing their college essays.
eSchool News
MAY 12, 2025
Rather than writing traditional essays or book reports, my students were invited to create short video book reviews of their favorite titles–books they genuinely loved, connected with, and wanted others to discover. In multilingual classrooms, these skills are often overlooked in favor of silent writing tasks.
Catlin Tucker
FEBRUARY 10, 2015
Every English teacher has experienced the frustration of introducing a writing skill, like how to write a thesis statement, over and over again without it “sticking.” That said, I can only read so many essays in a year. Here’s how it works: Step 1: Write an essay prompt on the board.
Catlin Tucker
AUGUST 12, 2017
Instead of spending hours grading assignments designed to help students develop these skills, I limit my energy to providing feedback in class as they work and grading the actual assessments–exam, essay, performance task. “I believe I deserve a B in English because I 1) _, 2. _, and 3.” They begin with a claim.
Catlin Tucker
DECEMBER 28, 2017
They want to know exactly how I have managed that as a high school English teacher. If students are working 0n an essay, I dedicate one station each day to providing real-time feedback as they write. Below is an example of a station rotation lesson for my 9th and 10th English class.
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