Teacher Resources

Brooke Helling

Teacher Resources

Hey Fellow Teachers,

I’m honored that you have taken the time out of your chaotic day to skim through my textbook. If you haven’t read it yet, check out the “Introduction” for valuable background information about this book.

The first thing I want you to know is that I am a teacher, and I wanted to write this book because I felt like the market was missing the type of textbook I was looking for. My desire for this book was that it be reader-friendly, informal, and concise. I hope that you will find I tried my best not to beleaguer chapters or use overly sophisticated academic words, yet it was also my desire to maintain rigor in the writing classroom. I wanted this book to be one that ESL students could and would actually read! In most cases, the content is purposely written in the first person, and each chapter is short and to the point.

One other important piece of background regarding the content of this book is that it was designed by and for students! The students I taught actually helped me to brainstorm and generate content and made contributions in the form of mentor text. That said, since the student samples are written by ESL students, they are not perfect! These types of imperfect mentor texts allow for great conversations surrounding the craft of writing.

Finally, my ultimate goal in creating this textbook was to craft a curriculum, not just a book. I know how busy teachers are–that’s why I believe in sharing resources. Along with this book, I am gifting teachers my curriculum resources for each chapter, which contain various elements, including teaching PowerPoints, student activities, and much more. Please note–this textbook itself is not a stand-alone component. The chapters within the book are not complete without your great instruction and the use of the teacher resources that you will see below.

Additionally, although the majority of the resources in this book were self-created, some were open or shared resources that I adapted for my purposes. When possible, I tried to notate those resources. Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or feedback.

Happy Teaching!

Dr. Helling

brookehelling@gmail.com

Curriculum Resources

Sample Syllabus

This sample syllabus contains verbiage for the policies in my classroom in addition to a tentative schedule.

Essay Rubric

Most teachers use a rubric or checklist when grading essays. This rubric is easily adaptable across writing genres.

Peer Editing

Peer Editing is integral to the writing process, but before students can edit each others’ work, they must be taught how. This PPT provides procedures, verbiage, and practice for peer editing. For each formal essay they write, my students engage in at least one session of peer editing with 1-2 other students.

Student Essay Reflection

Student Revision Reflection

Metacognition is important to writing development. Research shows that students who thoughtfully reflect after writing develop proficiency quicker. I often ask students to complete one of these at the conclusion of the writing process.

Course Mastery Defense Project

This project is designed to be completed at the end of the semester. Students look at the work that they have completed and the progress they have made throughout the course, and they “defend” their ability to meet the course objectives.

Final Curation Project

This final project is designed to be more creative than the course mastery defense and acts as a shortened version of a portfolio.