New Single! "LTP" by The Essay 5

I have troubles, oh, I have troubles.

No matter how many times I try to tell 6th grade students they need to organize their essays carefully according to my instruction, there are always some who fail.

The Thrill is Gone. Sing it, B.B. King!

As educators what do we do in those situations? We Keep on Keeping On (thank you Curtis Mayfield!), that's what we do. We look for new ideas to reach Every. Single. Student.

So as I was looking at my class unbelievably in February when they couldn't repeat the three pieces of a good essay introduction (Lead, Thesis, Plan), something we've been discussing and practicing since September, I said to them, "Let's break it down to the first letters then!" So I had them repeat L.T.P to me, then Lead Thesis Plan, then L.T.P, then Lead Thesis Plan. Basically memorizing.

Now, usually my most inspired ideas come in the moment...in front of class...under pressure to perform...to help the students learn when they're not grasping a concept. If you're an educator, you know what I mean. My teacher brain had it's wheels turning.

The Wheel in the Sky Keeps on Turning. Journey knew I needed this song, especially on those days when my pre-planned lessons bomb, and "I don't know where I'll be tomorrow."

As I stood in front of class trying to come up with a better way to get the students to remember how essays should be organized, the next words out of my mouth were: "You down with L.T.P?"

And I waited for a response.........................

I said it again with better rhythm: "You down with L.T.P?" Waited. And I tried one more time: "You down with L.T.P?"

While the students looked at me like I was a crazy man (this happens often), I had one student in the back carefully and quietly say, "Yeah, you know me."

I looked at her, and I said, "THANK YOU!"

I proceeded to tell the kids that they should randomly ask their parents who were about my age the rapper's question, "You down with O.P.P.?" and just see if they could respond with, "Yeah, you know me." So I wrote on the board:

L.T.P.
*
*
*
C

The L.T.P. is obviously the Lead, Thesis, and Plan in the introduction. The stars represent the main ideas in the body with elaboration which we will turn into paragraphs when we write first drafts. The C is the conclusion. I said, "You down with L.T.P.?" and slapped the proper letters on the board in sync with my question. When the students all responded with the resounding 4 syllable chant, "Yeah, you know me!" I slapped the next four pieces on the board * * * C. We had a great time as we practiced this a bit, and I was proud I finally found a fun way to get students to memorize a basic essay structure. Interestingly, the students cheered the lesson. Like literally clapped their hands and told me I should take a bow.

After quickly telling them that was silly, the bell rang, and I said we'll discuss it more tomorrow, and I reminded them to ask their parents, "You down with O.P.P.?" and to tell me if they remembered the song.

I've got this 6th grade student, a very cheerful individual who walks in every day with a huge exaggerated smile. She'll often approach me as she comes to school and say, "Isn't this just the best day, Mr. T.?" Other days she says, "Smile, Mr. T." She even has a sweatshirt with a huge smiley face on it. She is extremely outgoing, the definition of an extrovert. Well, this student says, "My mom played O.P.P. at full volume over and over in the car when I asked her about it yesterday. Ugh! I am so sick of that song." (She was smiling when she told me that.)

I asked her kind of aloofly (and kind of embarrassed that I hadn't looked lyrics up yet) how the rest of the song was. And she said that there was this one weird part.

I've been teaching long enough to know that "weird" means "inappropriate," and I immediately went to my computer to look up the lyrics. Surprise surprise, those lyrics I didn't pay much attention to at my high school dances came back to bite me. My first clue was the group's name: Naughty by Nature. I made a quick announcement that I would not have any more conversation on, "You down with O.P.P.?" and mentioned under my breath that we should find a new song to learn L.T.P.

What I thought was a very brilliant improvised teachable moment had just imploded.

And then, grace of all graces, another student said we should use the song "ABC" instead. I considered that song, and I thought of young Michael Jackson, and I said, "That might work!" I found the lyrics first this time...just in case...and realized that the love they sing of in that song is appropriately generic. We pulled it up on YouTube and listened to part of it...some kids danced a bit, and that was that. Class was over.

As sometimes occurs, I went through my business after school, went home, traveled 30 minutes to my son's basketball game, came home, and continued to try to fix my improvised O.P.P. mistake. I pulled up The Jackson 5 lyrics again and tried to come up with a chorus that would work for my 6th graders. It wasn't hard at all! Very quickly I had my lyrics. Check if you can hear the "ABC" tune in my song:

LTP

Then you do Main Idea

Elaborate Seriously

And you're free to end it clean

With a good conclusion

                                                                                            -The Essay 5

When I arrived at school the next day, I wrote that chorus on the board, and the students and I had a great time singing the song! And I finally found a way for the students to remember how a basic essay introduction should work, not to mention our entire essay structure.

And I've always taught my students to remember how to write their 5 paragraph essays: 1 paragraph of introduction (with an L.T.P.), 3 main idea paragraphs with elaboration in each for the body, and 1 paragraph conclusion...The Essay 5! You know, like The Jackson 5...?

As educators we know how much extra time we invest in the students to help them remember concepts. This is a major struggle at times. How much more effort do we need to put in to help students construct their own knowledge! In writing essays, my 6th graders must follow my structure so that they learn how things should be, but their topics, their styles, and their sentences are their own. It's time for them to take hold of their own learning and improve their writing.

I want to invest in other students, too! If you know of a child in the middle grades who struggles with writing more formal pieces, I have set up a website where I have designed lessons and offer professional feedback for students so that they can strengthen their writing.

Check out my JustWriteWithT website or email me at JustWriteWithT@gmail.com with any questions you may have about getting a student started working on their writing skills. Perhaps it's your student, your child, or your grandchild - or maybe your friend has suggested his or her child needs tutoring in this area. I would love to use what I've learned in the classroom over almost 20 years to encourage more students, my most recent lesson being...always check the lyrics first.