Andrea Wells-Edwards doing construction in English 101D

Construction? In an English 101D class?

Andrea Wells-Edwards, a Senior Associate faculty member in the English Department, has developed an activity to enhance student engagement and success, particularly on the final project: the research-based persuasion essay.

Once students have performed research, written their essays, and peer edited their drafts in groups, Andrea asks that they bring their final drafts to class for the “Construction Zone.” She dresses in construction gear (hi-viz vest and a hardhat, anyway) and invites students to do the same. There is a class vote to award the prize – usually candy - for the best construction wear, which is usually won by a student who works in the construction field (and not Andrea). During this “Construction Zone” class session, the goal is to spend time casting a critical eye on every aspect of a successful research paper and persuasion essay. Offering students one last chance for guided work with a partner and in different small groups has yielded fantastic results, with nearly all students improving scores on the final essay over previous attempts. 

For the Construction Zone, Andrea guides the class through extensive, focused prompts in pairs and groups, beginning with “Find the Thesis” through “Predict the Paper,” “Name the Point of the Paragraph,” “Spot the Transitions,” “Citation Check,” and finally, “Evaluate the Conclusion.” There is even a “Big X Exercise,” where students are asked to draw a big X through common offenders like misuse of the word “you,” rhetorical questions, and metadiscourse statements. Having a theme for the day helps to get students involved and keep their interest. Generally, attendance is near 100%, according to Andrea, because students want to know what the “Construction Zone” will involve and why they have been asked to dress like construction workers! They are also eager for a chance to work through their final essays during dedicated class time and with guidance; “Any chance to get rid of the common errors collectively is time well invested,” says Andrea.

Want to know more? Contact Andrea at awells@everettcc.edu. She’d be happy to answer any questions and share more about the activity with you!

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