It's statistically proven that 87% of math teachers became math teachers only so they wouldn't have to grade those endless piles of essays. You can quotes us on that.*

Does that mean the essay should stay silo-ed off in English, and that lit and lang teachers are doomed to envy their mathy counterparts till the end of time? Nopers. What's to envy about congruent triangles, anyway?

No offense, geometry class. In fact, we're here to spice you up with an essay of your own.

 

Could be worse.

Here's the deal: writing is time-intensive, and it requires that kids hit the on button on those sleep-mode little brains of theirs. That's why it's worth incorporating across a range of subject areas.

Writing, according to a bio-focused study, is real good for the young 'uns because it slows them down; plus, it can help with critical thinking skills—and not just about Shakespeare.

Not to mention that all that texting, FaceTime, and Insta-tweeting means that students have a really short attention span…which writing, which requires a longer attention span, can help remedy. Plus, it takes a tad more brainpower to explain something out in words (whether that's a math proof, a bio lab, or a historical event) than to Snapchat a picture of Napoleon with googly eyes stuck to him…the nasty little man.

Couple that longer attention span with increased thinking and you're golden. And again: it goes for a whole range of subjects. Students can gain from practice across the entire curriculum they are learning.

Oh, you want specifics? Fine. Here are a few ideas for you to use writing in your classroom:

• Have students write out a process. This could be a process to solve an equation step-by-step, or it could be the process by which a bill in passed in Congress. See? Multi-applicable.

• Have them write out why something is the way it is. Why is a scientific theory different from Jenny's theory that all boys have cooties? Why do you require students to bring a pencil to class? Why are there so many bugs? Why do politicians always wear red ties?

• Students can create a completely new product that relates to your field. (Well, a hypothetical one, at least). Have your smarties draw up a written ad for the product as well as a proposal outlining the purpose of the product. It could be a "new" product from a historical era, too. The Guillotine, for example, if your class is on the morbid side.

• Exit slips are great ways to get students to jot down one last thing about the day's lesson. Hard to avoid writing if it's the only way you can leave the classroom, right? So diabolical. Then you can give the slips back in the next class and have a few students share what they wrote to refresh memories. Added bonus: no grading needed.
   
  And on that note, don't, for the love of all that is holy, grade everything students write down. Some things just need a quick glance to gauge understanding.

• Build creative and interesting projects into your curriculum. Have them do some research (the political sitch when Dickens was penning his greats), create menus (what did the Ancient Greeks eat?), write travel brochures (where did Pythagoras live, again?), build business reports (for the Dutch East India Company), articles (new findings in space), journals, advertisements, expansions on this list, you name it.

Ultimately, there are tons of ways you can use writing to support your curriculum and in the process support strong critical thinking skills. Sure, students need these skills to pass state and national tests, but more importantly, these skills help enhance communication and smooth their way into professional lives.

So now that we've written all this, go make those students take a leaf out of our book…er, webpage.

*Don't quote us on that.