Why Students Usually Hate Essays: And Why It’s Not Their Fault

“Write an essay on The Great Gatsby.”
“Pick a character to analyze.”
“Write an essay on the theme of the book.”

What do all of these “prompts” have in common?

No direction. Which, you may think giving them broad, open ended questions is helpful, but it is more often than not, the opposite.

Often times, students are handed prompts, but they haven’t been taught or given the skills while reading to even answer these questions well.

Whether you homeschool or are an educator yourself, this the prep I do with and for students as they’re reading, how I structure my essay prompts, how you can help give your student direction if they are creating their own prompt, and finally, guidance through the writing process itself.

The prep: If I want my students to analyze a character, we have to learn how to do it, and do it while we’re reading. Every year, I have students who have been solid English students through high school, be asked to analyze a character, and because they’ve been good students, realize they haven’t really been TAUGHT how to do this. I was in a similar situation when I was in high school. I’d always been in higher level English, and I got to a certain point where I realized I didn’t actually have skills they were expecting me to already have, but I hadn’t ever been taught those skills. So how do I make sure my students have the stuff they need to write their essays?

1. I include those components in the study guides. Setting, Plot, Theme, Characterization- if I have essay prompt options on any of those topics, I make sure to touch them in the study guides. This means students are identifying and understanding these things WHILE they are actively reading. It also means we are discussing and engaging in those topics in class as well.
2. I have lessons on what those components are and identifying them. In my Brit Lit & Dystopian, I have very explicit lessons on what literary criticism is. It sounds scary until that lesson. Then as students read, I have them track, on one of their notes pages, examples of literary criticism as they read. I’m not just handing them worksheets or expecting them to take notes or write essays, and saying GOOD LUCK. We do work in ALL of my classes on archetypes, round/flat, static/dynamic characters. How can they analyze if they do not have the language to analyze?

Before students ever see a writing prompt, they are given the tools and skills to read well. By the time one of my students sits down to write an essay, the goal is that they more or less have everything they need, and can sit down with confidence. I don’t want my students to have to reread their books in order to write their essay. They should be able to pull out their notes, other classwork and homework, study guides, and assignments, and more or less write their essays. Sure, they may crack open their books to pull quotes, double check page numbers, etc….but they shouldn’t have to go looking for all of their information and points, from scratch.

If they’re analyzing a character, the first time they’re looking at a character’s choices, their part in the book, etc…should not be as they’re sitting down to write. If they are writing an essay on theme, they should know that theme is more than 1 word. “Friendship,” is a topic. “Friendship requires sacrifice and compassion,” is a theme. They should go into that writing know that they’re proving the theme, and already have some examples from previous work, to back it up.

Essay Prompts: I like to give variety. The way I structure my classes, students have 4 major assignments each semester, with a different theme/skill highlighted. For example, in Dystopian, they create their own society; that’s setting focused. I have them do a creative assignment, usually on symbolism. They do a presentation; typically on themes. And an essay, often on characterization. All of the skills get “touched” in some way, with each formal assignment.

1. “Choose a character to analyze.” THAT is overwhelming. I will give a specific. “Choose a *archetype character* to analyze. Describe how the character fits that archetype, and their role in the story.” That gives students a direct point. What character(s) fit THAT specific archetype. Ok. Now I am going to track THAT character, from the beginning to the end of the story, look at their decisions, motivations, how they interact with other characters, and how that fulfills the description of the archetype I believe they fit. THAT is something defendable that students can support with examples from the text. It’s no longer just an opinion piece.
2. Things to Consider: I often try to give students a little nudge, a few things to consider if they select that prompt. They are not required to include the answers or that content in their essay, but for some students, those few extra touch points can really help spark an idea.
3. “More than ‘Blue.'” I always promise my students that I will give them prompts/ask them questions that require more than 1 word answers. I’ll never expect a 5 paragraph essay out of a prompt like, “What color is the sky?” Make sure your questions are big enough for the amount of content you’re expecting from your student(s).

Create Your Own Prompt: I love to give students the option to create their own prompt, that fits within the parameters of the essay. Again- my essay prompts are usually around a specific component. If the essay for that unit is about theme, and the student has an idea for an essay topic that is still about theme, but is just different from one of mine, as long as it’s approved, then I’m good with that.

1. What is the question they are answering? A few years ago I had a student want to write an essay about characters. Her topic was solid. But she needed a PROMPT. What is the thing you are answering in your essay? An essay about characters is not a prompt.
2. Can the question be answered in an essay that meets the other requirements? Sometimes students come up with GREAT questions to answer! But if you look beyond the surface, and start to look at what it will take to answer that question, stretching it out to be a 5 paragraph essay may not really be functionally possible. They would struggle to come up with points, supporting evidence, and it may just get redundant. It’s not that the question they have is BAD, it’s just that it’s not substantial enough for 5 paragraphs. As their teacher, you should be able to look at it, and see that, instead of letting them flounder with an impossible task.

The Writing Process:
I provide a few things to all of my students, across the board, every essay, no matter what.

1. 2-3 outline options. They don’t have to use them, but they are there as a resource for them to use. Outlines.
2. A thesis writing sheet. Sometimes writing the thesis can be the hard part, and sometimes I even write it at the end so that the thesis matches my paper vs matching my paper to a thesis that maybe I can’t meet. But guidance to a solid thesis makes a world of difference.
3. A rubric. They get clear expectations. I get easier grading. It’s not an opinion piece. It’s something concrete for everyone.
4. A super detailed edit checklist. It’s almost 3 pages. Are citations correct? Did you use the right “there, their, or they’re?” Is your MLA formatting correct? Capitalization where there should be? It is WILDLY detailed.
5. Peer Editing: My expectation is that students fulfill the edit sheet for a partner during peer editing, and that students SELF edit before submission. Completing the edit sheet and doing it well, will almost guarantee top scores in the mechanics categories of the rubric.

When you give students the tools while they are reading, give them well worded prompts with direction, and support throughout their writing process, they begin to hate writing less. Because they are prepared. They have all the tools they need to be successful, but still work fairly independently. Sometimes it takes students an essay or 2 to get the hang of it, but once they do, it’s incredible to see how much their writing can grow, and how much less complaining about the writing you hear.