Using Model Essays to Create Good Writers

Abstract

Teachers need to be able to write academic articles to further their professional development. This chapter demonstrates how in-service teachers in a in-service programme in the Sultanate of Oman were helped to improve their academic writing skills by analysing model essays. This chapter will show the procedure that was used in several language improvement classes for teachers. In these classes, the teachers were given skeleton plans, model essays, analysis sheets for the essays and feedback to help them improve their academic essays. Results on the use of these materials are given for one group of teachers and the findings are discussed and suggestions made for the future.

Appendices

Appendix I

1.1 What Makes a Good Teacher?

Make sure that you divide your essay into __________________________________.

First Paragraph: ____________________________

Make sure you introduce the topic in the ____________________ sentence. Be specific.

Make sure you signpost what you are going to say in the rest of the essay. That is say what aspects of a teacher you are going to write about.

Aspects you will write about (Choose about 4):

Second Paragraph: What aspect of a good teacher will you write about here: ___________________

What evidence will you use to support your argument? (Evidence can be from experience or literature)

Third Paragraph: What aspect of a good teacher will you write about here: ___________________

What evidence will you use to support your argument? (Evidence can be from experience or literature)

Fourth Paragraph: What aspect of a good teacher will you write about here: ___________________

What evidence will you use to support your argument? (Evidence can be from experience or literature)

Fifth Paragraph: What aspect of a good teacher will you write about here: ___________________

What evidence will you use to support your argument? (Evidence can be from experience or literature)

Fifth Paragraph: _________________________________

Sum up your argument. Try to relate it to the first paragraph.

References: If you have mentioned any books you MUST list them in your references.

Author’s Surname, Initial. (Date of publication). Title of Book. Place of Publication Publisher.

Nunan, D. (2000) Language Teaching Methodology. Harlow: Longman.

Appendix II

2.1 What Makes a Good Teacher?

When I think of the qualities that make a good teacher, I remember Miss Williams, my Grade 6 teacher. Though tiny, most of boys in the all male class towered above her; Miss Williams kept control over us by the force of her personality and her well planned, interesting and creative lessons. Before child centred learning became a fashionable buzz word, Miss Williams practised it and her classroom management skills ensured that we did pair work and group work as well as well paced more traditional whole class activities. Most important of all I think each boy felt that Miss Williams cared that we learnt. Each of these qualities: a caring personality, good management skills, focusing on the learner, and the use of a variety of techniques are the hallmarks of a good teacher. I will examine each one in more detail.

First, teachers need to care for their pupils. Miss Williams, like all good teachers, knew our names quickly and in this way showed that she cared for us. Knowing the names also helped her to keep control of the class. Vale and Feunteun (1995) point out that the caring teacher needs to play the role of parent, teacher, friend, motivator, co-ordinator and organizer as well as being good at his or her subject. The good caring teacher will know his or her pupils and so will be more able to meet any special needs any pupil may have and plan the lessons so that he or she meets these needs.

That is one reason why planning lessons in advance is so important. Scrivener (2005) believes that thinking about your lessons is the most important stage of this, so that you are clear about what your aims are and can plan the lesson in logical steps. Vale and Feunton (1995) agree and point out that it is important to have a variety of teaching techniques so that you can provide different learning styles for your pupils, because not all learning styles will suit all pupils. Miss Williams certainly did that for us. I remember her bringing in realia, getting us to do role plays and drama activities and using songs and poetry. She also took us on trips outside the school.

Today, from my own experience as a teacher, I see that many teachers prefer a more child centred approach to teaching. This gives students many more opportunities to work together and in TEFL to practice the language with each other. Teachers who use pair work and group work give students, as Nunan (2000) points out, more time to use the target language. Nunan also believes that such activities give students an opportunity to collaborate with each other and this improves the classroom atmosphere.

To control different types of classroom interaction the teacher must have good management skills. The good teacher will give clear instructions and will stage these and make sure that students can repeat them before starting a task. Ur (1991) states that research on students’ opinions about teachers shows that ‘learners see the ability to explain things well as one of the most important qualities of a good teacher’ (16). Good classroom management in my experience is linked to good planning and a good plan will always have a variety of activities and classroom interaction patterns.

It is often said that ‘good teachers are born not made’, but this is really a myth for the good teacher needs to learn the skills of planning, classroom management and different teaching techniques. Enthusiasm for the job is important, but without careful preparation and thinking about the aims of the lesson and how to involve the students and assist their learning it is doubtful that any teacher will past the test of ‘being a good teacher’ and be remembered by her pupils as a good teacher as Miss Williams is remembered by me fifty years on as my model of a good teacher.

Appendix III

3.1 What Makes a Good Teacher?

In your groups compare what you found out about the model essay then make brief notes.

Paragraph One. How does the writer introduce the topic?

How does he signpost the rest of the essay?

Paragraph 2. What does the writer discuss here?

What evidence does he give to support his argument?

Paragraph 3. What aspect of a good teacher does the writer discuss here?

How does the writer link this paragraph with the last one?

What evidence does he give to support his argument?

Paragraph 4. What aspect of the good teacher does the writer talk about here?

Where does his evidence come from?

Paragraph 5. What aspect of the good teacher does the writer mention here?

What examples does he give?

Paragraph 6. How does the writer conclude his essay?

How does the writer link the introduction and the conclusion?

References: Are these correctly done?

Appendix IV

4.1 What Makes a Good Teacher?

Name:

Analysis of essay.

Paragraph One. How you introduced the topic:

How you signposted the rest of the essay?

Paragraph 2. Your theme here is

Your evidence to support your argument.

Paragraph 3. Your theme here is

Your link to the last paragraph:

Your evidence to support your argument.

Paragraph 4. Your theme here is:

Your link to the last paragraph:

Your evidence to support your argument:

Paragraph 5. Your theme here is:

Your link to the last paragraph:

Your evidence to support your argument:

Paragraph 6. Your theme here is:

Your link to the last paragraph or to other paragraphs if it is the conclusion:

References: Are these correctly done?

Appendix V

5.1 What Makes a Good Teacher?

Name: Teacher 3.

Analysis of essay.

Paragraph One. How you introduced the topic: You state that you will give your own views about what makes a good teacher and will take evidence from both your experience and literature.

How you signposted the rest of the essay? You say that you will discuss only four reasons and will give subtitles to them. You do not say what they will be.

Paragraph 2. Your theme here is: Heading: A good teacher. Really part of the introduction as you say you will discuss four reasons and say why you chose them because they are the ones that make a good relationship between teacher and student.

Your evidence to support your argument. Not really needed here. Just your opinion.

Paragraph 3. Your theme here is The teacher building his own activities. (A heading)

Your link to the last paragraph: No real link.

Your evidence to support your argument. You give examples from your own experience and link this to the writings of Halliwel.

Paragraph 4. Your theme here is: A good teacher designs activities based on learners needs and abilities.

Your link to the last paragraph: Your main link is the use of first, second etc.

Your evidence to support your argument: Once again you have used your own experience as a teacher of 16 years and have supported this with views from Baker and Halliwell. You need to comment more on literature references.

Paragraph 5. Your theme here is: Experience more important than qualifications.

Your link to the last paragraph: The link is the use of ordinal numbers.

Your evidence to support your argument: Strong personal views backed up with quotation from Baker.

Paragraph 6. Your theme here is: Good atmosphere in the classroom.

Your link to the last paragraph: You use the ordinal and though you don’t explicitly state it there is a link to your second paragraph because atmosphere is so important. Once again backed up by Baker.

Paragraph 7. Conclusion. Here you very strongly express your own views and say what can interfere with a good teacher.

Link: To sum up.

References: Are these correctly done? Yes. This is well done apart from According to linked to another verb.

General Comment: This shows greater organization than the first draft.