Crafting and Revising Thesis Statements, Part One

So much of our attention is focused on reaching struggling learners in our grade level courses, that we sometimes forget about our colleagues in AP. Just because kids are enrolled in an advanced class doesn't mean that they aren't struggling readers and writers. During the 12 years I taught 10th grade Pre-AP English and 11th grade AP Lang and Comp, I worked with a lot of students who wanted a challenge but had never tried an advanced course before. The challenge AP and Pre-AP teachers face has always been how to meet the needs of those struggling learners who are new to advanced coursework while still maintaining the rigor for the rest of the class. By focusing on the skills and concepts my students needed to be successful readers, writers, and critical thinkers, I was able to meet my students...

Along with building those essential relationships, my first order of business at the beginning of the year was to my students' knowledge and skills. I liked starting the year off with a timed writing from a released AP exam. I prefer using the argument question because I don't expect my students to walk in knowing synthesis or rhetorical analysis, but they should be able to take a position and defend it. I don't assign this for homework because I want to see their processes. Which students take the time to prewrite? Which ones attempt a draft? Which students dive right in? And which ones glance around helplessly while their peers attack the task?

We used the 2015 prompt about polite speech in a recent professional development workshop. Since we had a limited amount of time, I asked my participants to write a thesis and one body paragraph.

Before I give my students feedback, I want to be sure they are familiar with the expectations of the course and of the writing task. So after writing their paragraphs, I asked them to put them aside so we could examine the rubric and student samples from the actual test administration. We used Nearpod as our vehicle for discussion, rating each sample and then using language from the rubric to justify that score. Nearpod is an ideal vehicle for this discussion because students can respond to the teacher without the entire class seeing their answers. This gives teachers a quick and easy way to check for understanding, examine student responses and reactions, and showcase exemplars or weaker responses without embarrassing anyone. Nearpod also allows me to collect responses from students who are reluctant to share in front of the class. Often teachers are left wondering whether they are holding back because they don't understand the concept or because they are too shy or unsure of their answer. 

Since this was my students' first writing task, I don't want to crush them with a low grade or harsh criticism. I want them to use this experience to set the bar for themselves. We go back to their essays and score them according to the rubric (Yes, I still collect them and assess their work for myself). We reflect on one thing they did well and one thing they could do to improve next time. Our next step is to revise those responses, but I know students need coaching to get there. I can't assign another essay or a rewrite without giving them guidance on how to improve next time. 

Part Two will focus specifically on that revision process. In the meantime, how do you assess your students' skills at the beginning of the year? What essential skills or concepts will you focus on in the first grading period, and how will you measure your students' progress toward mastery?