Final Comments on Essay Writing Class 2012-2013

This will be the final post on my Essay Writing class blog for Tsurumi University for the school year of 2012. In fact, it may be the final post for this blog ever, as I will not be teaching Essay Writing from April 2013. I enjoyed teaching the class for the past three years, and I hope my students feel they made some progress in writing in English. More than any other class, Essay Writing gave me an opportunity to see what my students were really thinking, and it also helped me understand their English proficiency levels and their problem areas in mastering English.

I had 30 students in 2012, which was a lot, considering I had to read and correct all of their essays multiple times during the year. The most amazing thing for me was that nearly all of them stuck it out and completed all 8 of their required essays, plus all the necessary revisions. I enjoyed reading their essays, especially the Narration Essays, which usually recounted an amusing or embarrassing incident in their lives. The Restaurant Reviews were also good, as they offered some practical information on where to dine in Kanagawa and Tokyo. The restaurant review site, Tsurumi Eats!, gets on average 12 views per day, mostly from people who are not connected to Tsurumi University. I hope the restaurants appreciate this free advertising!

My students did a great job this school year. They should be proud of what they accomplished, and hopefully, writing in English will be a skill they can develop further as they progress in their studies and their careers. You will find links below to some of the essays they wrote in the 2012-2013 school year and which were previously posted on this site. Restaurant reviews are on a separate site, Tsurumi Eats! Thanks for visiting!

Narration Essays
The Too-Expensive Tip by Y. S. 1
I Am Still Friendly by A. S.
Angry Dad by T. K.
Personal Computer by N. M.
My Terrible Memories about Skiing by Y. S.  2
A Failure by K. S.
Don't Tell a Lie to Go Snowboarding by T. N.
Time Slip by T. M.
In McDonald's by A. K.
My Father and Our Dog by M. A.
I Want to Become a Beautiful Girl by M. G.
I Can't Open My Mouth! by H. W.
Am I a Bad Girl? by K. A.

Art with Wordle based on our restaurant reviews at Tsurumi Eats!

Three Things Essays
The Three Things You Need to be a Good Guitarist by K. T.
The Three Things You Need to Be a Good Waitress by H. W.

Change Essays
I Changed My Way of Thinking About Love by K. T.
How My Ideal Man Changed by K. A.
I Changed in Canada by M. K.
How My View of Dogs Changed by Y. S. 2
How I Changed My Way of Thinking About Japan by K. S. 

Student Comics 2012

'How To' Essays
How to Make a Boyfriend by G. E.
How to Spend a Happy Summer Vacation by Y. H.
How to Enjoy Life by K. S.
How to Refuse a Flirt by K. A.  

Comparison Essays
Villains are Better than Heroes by K. A.
E-Mail is Better than Letters by Y. N.

Special Thing
My Special Thing - Badminton Club by T. G.
My Best Partner - My Car by Y. S. 1

Link to Zen Pencils just because it's a great site.

For additional information about myself, my classes, and my articles, blogs and activities at Tsurumi University, visit my website, English Every Day! Cheers! - Kevin Miller