SAT I Writing Class – Overview December 1, 2007
Posted by Michael Hurt in : SAT Writing , trackbackBACKGROUND
My name is Michael Hurt, and I’ll let you read my bio for more information about me. I’ve taught SAT I Critical Reading and Verbal in general, as well as SAT II: Writing and SAT II: American History at Ivy West (California’s elite test prep company), as well as Kaplan and other smaller centers while a graduate student at Berkeley. I came to Korea not to teach English, but to work on my Ph.D. dissertation, and in the meantime have taught Critical Writing and American History at Daewon Foreign Language High School, AP US History at the Hanguk Academy of Foreign Studies (HAFS), and presently at Ewha Foreign Language High School.
(Note that during my year at HAFS, 24% of the students received a 5 on the AP exam, while 34% received a 4, with over 50 students having taken the test, which is considered one of the most difficult AP examinations. The average number of top American students taking that AP is 8.75%.)
THE TEST
Before we move any further, let me just reiterate the point that the SAT I writing test does NOT actually test your ability to write well. If you doubt this proposition, read this recent report on the matter from The Boston Globe. It might surprise you.
Frankly speaking, 7 weeks until the SAT is not enough to actually improve your writing skills. It is, however, enough time to improve your ability to take the test. I am of the position that you shouldn’t even worry about taking the January test, since I don’t think your raw writing abilities can be improved in such a short period of time. However, if you do choose to take the test, I would use it as a diagnostic – not as a marker of your writing ability.
CLASS PLAN
We have 7 weeks until the January exam. I am not sure if you actually plan to take it or not, which is something we must discuss and decide tomorrow. In either case, I will treat the next 7 weeks as a complete introduction to improving your ability to write this essay. If you do take the test, it will be as complete a preparation I can give in 7 weeks; if you do not take the January test, it will be a complete overview and introduction to the test, from which we can build on over the subsequent months.
Each class will have several exercises that include all stages of the process, but with an emphasis for each week:
Week of December 8 (Structure and Outlining)
Overview of the test, what kind of writing is being tested, challenges of the test, how we can prepare together.
Week of December 15 (Topic Banking)
Creating a bank of topics from which to have a ready-made body of content from which to draw opinions and form arguments into an essay.
Week of December 22 (Argument/Outline Formulation)
Formulating a complete outline and opening paragraph under time pressure.
Week of December 29 (Actual Essays I + Group Editing)
Writing actual essays under the actual time constraints, and group editing to become a better writer.
Week of January 5 (Essays That Worked – Good Essay Analysis)
Analyzing good essays, different kinds of writing that can expand and diversify one’s writing style.
Week of January 12 (Review and Topic Banking II)
Improving and upgrading the bank of content for application into the essay.
Week of January 19 (Actual Essays II + Group Editing)
A final session formulating a complete outline and opening paragraph under time pressure.
THE NEXT STEP?
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