Modified MS Word Template

I chose "Short Essay Outline" as my template. I believe that giving students a physical copy of an outline increases the chances that they will use an outline when writing a short essay. It provides them with a way to gather their thoughts and allows them to brainstorm ideas.

I modified it to show explanations in the introduction and conclusion, such as how long their thesis statement should be or what is meant by "restate the topic". To college students, the initial outline would suffice, but students at the junior high and high school level will most likely need a reminder of these facts. It leaves no room for doubt.

Since I plan on teaching English at the junior high/high school level, I find this template incredibly helpful. I believe that an outline is essential when writing an essay. To implement it effectively in my classroom, I would print copies of the outline for each student and use it as an assignment prior to turning in a short essay. After grading each outline, I would hand them back to the students so they could see where they might need corrections.

Essay Title

Introduction

A.      Capture reader’s interest - Make us want to read your essay!

B.      Build case through logic – Explain why you chose your topic.

C.       Topic sentence/thesis statement – What is your essay about? One to two sentences.

First main point (strongest)

A.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

B.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

C.       Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

Second main point (second strongest)

A.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

B.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

C.       Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

Third main point (weakest)

A.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

B.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

C.       Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

Conclusion

A.      Restate topic – What did we just read about?

B.      Summarize three main points – But don’t just list them!

C.       Revisit introduction or tie all ideas together – Give us your final thoughts on the matter.

An Introduction

My name is Amanda Perez. I'm currently a Junior, majoring in English with the hopes of teaching at the high school level someday. After graduation, I plan on jumping into a teaching career as soon as possible. I'm 27 and feel like I've been on this path for a very long time.

I'm a Harry Potter "enthusiast" and my hobbies include gaming and reading, when I'm not busy being a full-time mom. I have a 3 year old daughter and a one year old son.

I think we should take advantage of the technology that is available to us. For example, with two young children and a full-time job, commuting the hour to campus every day of the week is nearly impossible. Online courses allow me to attend school from my home. At the high school level, the opportunity is there to connect with teenagers by making use of the technology they use everyday. I'm looking forward to learning some of the ways in which that technology can be best applied!