Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer through the slings and arrows of an unrelatable topic during writing assignments or to take a stand against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them- this is the question!
The Noble Task of Writing Assignments
Fast forward to today. My ninth grader suffered through a persuasive writing assignment topic as foreign to him as seeing a cat take orders. Yet, my student succeeded to persuade his audience (college students and parents). This, despite the noble gesture to work through an unrelatable topic. Actually, the topic assigned to him dealt with lowering the legal drinking age from the perspective of a college professor. This professor spoke outwardly in favor of reducing the age limit. You see, none of my student’s ancestors, relatives or immediate family consume alcohol due to their religious beliefs.
To Be or Not To Be
Should unrelatable topics form viable writing assignments for students?
Being student-centered, my first inclination pushes for a nay vote on any topic like this for writing assignments. To my amazement, my student did an excellent job. He integrated logos, pathos and ethos into his essay. Granted, he comes from a line of speech writers. So, maybe that inherent skill overpowered his lack of personal experience about the topic.
Backstory
Yet, was this teacher acting in the student’s best interest?
The backstory begins with a conversation between this ninth grader and his teacher. Each student, given the opportunity to pick a controversial topic, came to class prepared. Apparently his teacher eliminated his choice of ‘high crime in India’ as not controversial enough to use as a topic. Then, the ninth grader answered his teacher when asked about his family’s religious beliefs. He explained the more conservative side of his family’s faith. “This includes abstinence from drinking,” he said. After that, his teacher suggested he write on reducing the legal age limit to consume alcohol. She said this would further challenge him. The ninth grader took the teacher’s advice. Soon, he struggled with the unrelatable topic. He found himself being on the opposite side of the fence, so-to-speak.
Next, I came in as his tutor. My aim involved objectively facilitating a proofread of his speech. We stepped through the writing process. We followed instructions provided by his teacher. Before we knew it, the essay was fine-tuned and polished to a shine.
Only after giving the speech did my ninth grader admit, “You don’t understand. I was so stressed about whether I should have taken this side of the topic, that I felt like I couldn’t breathe. After your 2 hour and 45 minute lesson, I felt so much better.”
Suffering Through Writing Assignments
Does suffering through unrelatable topics help or hinder the building of writing skills in students?
Opposite from what I imagined, it certainly might not hinder them. More importantly, if asked, I bet this noble student considers this an unforgettable writing experience!
