29/03/2023
Why does Creative Writing improve grades overall?
Before unlocking my creative expression, I had ‘starting anxiety’.
I had no idea how to structure a response to an exam question- I was the kid that sat down, stared at the question and asked, “Sir, what should I write first?”
(My students only ask this once.)
My main focus with my students has honestly never been grades. I don’t really care. I know that good grades come as a result of habitual patterns of enthusiastic and thorough application and integration of practices.
What?
Nothing.
What I’m saying is: it was a real surprise when my students’ parents came back all at once with a collection of testimonials that widely reflected an *overall improvement*.
Why was this a thing?
I thought about it, with each of the students who had shown this improvement.
Together, we had worked on patterns of comprehension, yes, but, more importantly,
expression.
We had worked through anxieties about ‘finding the right word’; about ‘I don’t know what this means’; about committing to a structure and following it through. We had learned how to identify the effect you want to have on the reader, and then how to create the effect.
We had burst through hesitation around sharing work- sharing thoughts; opinions; clear conclusions.
If you’re answering a written Science exam question and you flop between scenarios without guiding your examiner’s understanding, you’re likely to miss marks.
If you’re evaluating the effect of the railway on the Industrial Revolution but your argument has no driving emotional undertow then you’re gonna bore the examiner. Those velvet ropes between you and the top marks are gonna stay hooked to the shiny gold post because you haven’t shown flair. You haven’t shown fluency. You haven’t shown clear understanding. You might have it! But you haven’t shown it. (Equally, you can show it without really having it…)
In conclusion,
Learning how to tell stories well is the foundation of all communication. Communication is what achieves grades.
Do you know that we say ‘grade’ for the clarity of a diamond?
That’s what I’m talking about.
The End.
Oh! Join my group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/tinker.n.play
Also,
I have 10 free ‘Success Sessions’ available through April, for parents to talk through their young person’s stuff with me.
Here is the link to book that- be quick! When they’re gone, they’re gone. https://calendly.com/tinkerandplay/30min
All the best 🌸
Once you book in, please follow the prompts on the next page for additional steps.This is for parents of pre-exam students in the UK or US school systems who want to own their work, guide their readers and control their grades.This session is FREE.
