For my students to take time to revise their writing before submitting a final version, they will need direct instruction and feedback from me. I must teach them how to reflect on their writing. I must teach them to understand the prompt. I must teach them to recognize and construct a logical argument. I must teach them to write clearly.
The most critical element is being able to construct an argument. But because my issue is with revision, this presents a problem as constructing an argument is necessary to write the first draft. It’s a critical skill, and for revision it’s necessary because students will need to be able to identify a poorly constructed argument in order to correct it. I really should increase the importance of reflective writing, as it is most relevant to my achievement target. The two most important skills I want students to have through this process are constructing an argument and writing clearly. That’s worth two-thirds of their time.
