I made my composition students write an essay in class this morning and heard for the first but certainly not the last time those dreaded words, "How long should it be?"
"Long enough," I said, and a student in the back said "All right!" as if I'd just given him permission to slack off.
"Long enough to achieve the purpose of the essay," I added, and again he said "All right!" as if I'd encouraged him to write an essay whose purpose is to say approximately nothing.
"Give me your best work," I said, and he looked delighted, as if I'd commanded him to demonstrate his mastery of drivel.
"Look," I said, "I don't count words. Life is too short. I'm looking for a well-developed essay using examples in support of a thesis, and some students may be able to do that in 300 words although most will use 500 or more--in fact, it takes more discipline and skill to write a good essay concisely than to ramble on. I don't even know your name yet and I certainly don't know what you can do with a pen and paper, so just give me your best work and make it long enough to achieve the purpose."
"All right!" he said, but I won't know whether it's really all right until I read his work.
1 comment:
Maybe he is just excited about having the opportunity to write in a fashion free of arbitrary restrictions so that he will not find his self-expression hindered?
Or maybe he just wants to get out of class early. At this point of the semester, they're equally likely.
That's one reason I love the beginning of the semester. Everything is possible. Everything. At least until next week.
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