The English Teacher

The Miracle Worker
A writing assignment


This paper which I call the Most Difficult Class paper, is used as a writing assignment before the class begins reading 'The Miracle Worker.' The writing composition focus is on organization, and other writing traits. The content is designed to help them empathize, perhaps in a small way, with Helen Keller in overcoming her handicaps. I wanted to find a controllable way to discuss handicaps in students' lives without creating problems by bringing up an unexpected serious problem in some student's life.

I also wanted them to become aware of how they overcame the handicap and the abilities they had gained or were gaining. The following directions are for the pre-writing activities.

1. Have the class contribute to a list of their most difficult classes (that they have completed.) [I make a list of these classes on the board, or a large sheet of paper as the students state them. I ask each student to participate. Don't be surprised if some students list your class as their most difficult class.]

2. After the list is completed give the class the following questions to write down: (Have them leave space for the answers and have them write on 2-3 at a time so they won't be distracted by the breadth of the questions and go to the most familiar and not explore the others.)

    a. What was so difficult about the class?

    b. Who was involved in the situation? (Not just those causing the situation.)

    c. Where was the school? Where was the room in the school? Where were you in the room?

    d. How did the situation end? What things did you try in order to end the situation? [Sometimes the situation ends simply by the class ending, or their dropping the class or their doing their homework, or their being quiet in class, etc.]

    e. What did you learn from the situation?

    f. What "handicaps" did you have about the situation that you don't have now? [Perhaps the handicap was shyness, or lack of desire to work, or not asking an adult for help, i.e. the teacher for help, or a counselor to get out of a bad class situation.]


Once the students have written out their answers to these questions, as a pre-writing exercise, I hand out the following form as directions for writing the paper. Sometimes I include a 'writing traits' sheet to be filled out as they write the rough and final drafts.

***********************************


                 The Most Difficult Class Paper
                      [DifClas2.En1]  5/99
            
     Write a paper with an introduction, body, and                
     conclusion.  The rough draft should be written in            
     pencil and the final draft in ink.  Write on one side        
     of the sheet, skipping lines.  The paper should be at        
     least two pages.  Staple this sheet to the top, next the 
     final draft and staple the rough draft to the bottom.
    NOTE: If you do a Writing Traits sheet with this paper, 
     staple that below the rough draft.
          

     Introduction:
          "As I think back on my years in school the 
          most difficult class I had was ______. It
          was difficult because _______."       

     Paragraph 1
           Who was involved in the situation?  (Not
           just those causing the situation.)

     Paragraph 2
           Where was the school?  Where was the 
           room in the school? Where were you in 
           the room?
 

     Paragraph 3
           How did the situation end?  What things 
           did you try in order to end the situation? 

    Conclusion:
           What did you learn from the situation?

           What "handicaps" did you have about the 
           situation that you don't have now?


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