Sometimes asking for help is one of the hardest things to do. Maybe it’s embarrassment. Maybe it’s pride. Maybe it’s the fear of how the request will be received.
It was a snowy day this past March that I had a fantastic teacher reach out for a bit of help. Cheryl Nixon, a teacher of seventeen years, felt as if she was struggling to deliver meaningful and purposeful composition instruction in her classroom.
This is an excerpt from an email she sent to me upon completing my Masterclass:
I quite frankly had had enough of seeing my students not get the “IT” of how to write an essay. And then one day it occurred to me. They weren’t getting the big “IT” because I didn’t know how to teach to their needs. There’s an “IT” to teaching writing and I didn’t have “IT.”
I taught the way I was taught; which is to say, I didn’t do much direct teaching of writing. I more or less “assigned” as you showed me the difference. In order to get that elusive “IT,” I needed to “teach.”
I’m so glad that I built up the courage to reach out to you. Your [Masterclass] not only taught me how to teach writing, but it enabled me to push my students forward as writers. I think that most of them are getting “IT.”
The first thing students need to get the big “IT” are workable and simple templates. Between the syllogistic method and the declarative/inverted thesis, your students are going to flourish as writers once they understand how to incorporate these methods into their writing.
The second thing students need is a teacher who isn’t afraid to “Bob Ross” their instruction. Students learn best from seeing models and exemplars from an expert. I taught Cheryl how to position herself as the expert in her classroom … a veritable Bob Ross of composition who has learned the benefits of “painting” with her students.
The third thing students need is a teacher who isn’t burnt out. Through the alternative grading methods and the sheer volume of content in the Masterclass Library, Cheryl learned how to free up her life from the endless demands of being a secondary ELA teacher.
Veteran and rookie alike, many teachers over the years have reached out to me for tips on how to do things a better way – to ask for help. One thing that I love to see is the proverbial lightbulb illumine over my teacher’s heads as they begin to see a better way to teach composition.
My next Masterclass will begin on June 13th. We will meet for five consecutive Sundays (excluding the 4th of July) from either 5-6 p.m. EST or 7-8. Enrollment doors are currently open with a special offer of $100 off until the 11th.
Reach out if you’d like more information or want to schedule a discovery call.
Happy teaching and happy writing!
Kristian
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