You can meet employer demands that every high school graduate
have basic writing skills and basic reading skills
by using best teaching practices when you teach writing.
What's more, since those practices produce the
basic writing skills colleges demand, you equip all your grads
for life after high school.
(Coincidentally, teachers, meeting those demands allows you to
continue receiving paychecks, which is also important.)
Competence is gate to greatness
English teachers often say they want more for students than just
the basics. Thats commendable, but it overlooks one simple
fact: no one becomes a good reader or fluent writer without first
becoming competent.
If you are fortunate, youll have students come to you already
competent in expository reading and expository
writing.
Most of us dont have that kind of luck. For most of us,
teaching writing means we are the ones who have to develop students'
competence in basic writing skills.
Employers expect literacy
Survey after survey shows employers expect entry-level workers
to have mastered the 3 Rs. They prefer high school
graduates have a through knowledge of basics rather than
a superficial acquaintance with advanced courses.
In the English language arts arena, that translates into competence
in reading
expository prose, such as a staff handbook or a job description.
Workplace writing requires the ability to write a simple memo or
e-mail in complete sentences without using text messaging shorthand.
Employer expect workers to think
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Employers are looking for workers who can solve problems. Problem
solving entails gathering information (from reading, observing,
listening, asking questions) and turning it to new uses.
The best teaching practice in English language arts lies in the
middle ground between training students to regurgitate information
on standardized tests and promoting imaginative
writing that lacks practical application.
Learn to use writing to shape
creative responses.
Employer expect soft skills
Employers seek workers who can work with minimal supervision,
get along with other employees and customers, and learn on their
own.
Many of these so-called soft skills are or should
be included in ELA courses. For example, here are five soft
skills that Australian business groups and the Australian government
identified as essential skills:
Aussie or not, arent all those skills in your English curriculum
somewhere?
Milk employer demands
Instead of fighting the tide of workplace expectations, go with
the flow. Concentrate on the positive connections between what you
want students to learn and what employers say students must know.
Tying the need for students to have writing skills to workplace
demands is high on the the list of best teaching practices for English
language arts. So any time you see news about employers seeking
reading or writing skills, milk it for all its worth.
Published 25-Mar-2008; updated: 15-Jun-2010