Becoming a Good Writer

blossom
Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:21:04 +0000

Garland, your students future employers will thank you.

You cannot imagine how many college educated kids cannot write an “executive summary” of a lengthy research report, or do a summation of a complicated project analysis with any sort of structure (oh how I love the five paragraph essay!)

I’ve seen new employees basically write a laundry list- first this happened. Then we discovered something else interesting. But wait- then we got new information. What are the conclusions? I have no idea but I want to describe to you something fascinating that I read on page 28.

By the time you are working it’s too late. We have communications training programs designed to take good writers and make them great. We can’t teach basic Freshman composition! And we have no interest in hiring someone- even entry level- who can’t write a coherent five paragraph summary which includes three main ideas, a hypothesis, and something approaching a synthesis or conclusion. If I have to wade through a 12 page “blah blah blah” for everyone who works for me- frankly, I’d rather read the primary sources myself and draw my own conclusions!!! It’s faster.

You are doing god’s work teaching the five paragraph essay!!!