Drafting: Do you know when your writing is done?

Nope-hit publish anyway!

Image created by the author in cafenight

I’ve read way too many ‘first drafts’ lately. Words let loose on the world way too soon. Incomplete, incoherent, redundant sentences and paragraphs passed off as finished content. Seriously can you call it a paragraph if it is one sentence/seven words long?

I’ve got a fix for this! I’m a teacher with a pen! (okay digital comment bubble)

I made my online summer school students put their thoughts into a graphic organizer and answer a set of reflection questions. Then I asked them to set Draft One aside for a day. After giving “it” a rest, I asked them to review and revise Draft One and then answer a second set of reflection questions. Students were asked to submit Drafts One & Two, clearly labeled with a means of demonstrating the changes from Drafts One to Two.

There is a power dynamic in teaching. The teacher tells you to do something; if you want a decent grade, you do it, even if you think it’s stupid.

A little context — college summer school is a 15-week course crammed into five weeks. Many of the students are employed and taking other summer school courses. Time is a…