Language Investigations 2

In elementary school our brains were like sponges. We craved knowledge and our teachers didn't dissapoint. Constant rules and regulations were laid down so that we could develope into better students. One area that was full of rules was language arts (as they used to call it). As young students we really had no idea what was 'right' or 'wrong' when it came to putting our thoughts into words on paper. So of course, teachers had to lay a foundation for us to grow off of. A few rules I can remember are: (of course) not starting a sentence with But. There was also the introduction of the notorious 'topic sentence' and the three paragraohy structure which later developed into the five paragraph structure. There was also the 'summary statement' that went at the very end of the paper. Often our teachers would give us helpful phrases like "in conclusion" or "to sum up" so that we could make it clear that we were ending our paper.

I think there were good reasons and intent behind their strict rules. At such a young age, a child probably wouldnt see what was wrong with ending an idea and starting a new one with "But", because that is how most of our thought processes worked. The rule was there to ensure that no one was cutting off their sentence too early. The topic sentence was essential in establishing a clear idea that was going to be discussed in the writing process. Also, a topic sentence lays the foundation for what we (as college students) use today: the thesis statement. The three paragraph structure is introduced to help students organize their paper in a way that makes sense. At that age it is easy for students to float ideas around without realizing that the ideas are mixed in at the wrong places. The five paragraphy essay was a little more aggitating because in high school some teachers treated the format as if they had sold their soul to it. In high school students begin to develope their own style and opinions on a matter, so being forced to comply with the five paragraph essay could get annoying. However, I think that the five paragraphy essay was there for the students who were lazy and simply didn't want to write that much on the issue at hand. The five paragraph essay held those students accountable to the standards.

Each of these rules was in place in order to help us blossom into intellegent and competant students. But I think (haha I just started a sentence with but!) that it is the teachers in between elementary school and college that need to point out why those rules were once origionally pounded into our brains. The teachers in between need to show and explain and accept that those rules, though proper, are not always palpable when it comes to writing and reading in the later stages. How is any student supposed to develope their own writing style or voice when they feel chained to these few simple rules? As a secondary teacher I will make it one of my top priorities to show the different uses of language. Heck, maybe I'll even become that teacher who lets students put their topic sentence where they think is neccessary.