Exam Essay 8: A Prose by a Middle School Student

Author: Shang Bi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-12
Features: Among various teaching materials, none fail to highlight the spirit of "student-centered" quality-oriented education. Scientific, effective, feasible, and economical teaching methods and techniques all boil down to one word: "practice." The selection of examination essays is based on the "field effect" of the examination venue. People value mock exams because they allow students to adjust their mindset for calmness and train their quick-response "exam" skills in a simulated examination atmosphere.
First, the written exam recognizes the teaching orientation of the two distinguished teachers, Zhang Guangluo and Zhang Guangying, who advocate "writing with the heart." Here, "I" refers to the student, centered on the student, with heart and hand in harmony, which is practical and seemingly mystical. This is a self-cultivating task that everyone can participate in. The "time period" is at the beginning of "literary creation," whether in terms of creative experience or still in the "primary stage" rather than the "advanced stage." What about "life as the source and art as its elevation"? Or "read ten thousand books and write as if inspired"? Or "creating typical characters to reflect the spirit of the times"? These are the "advanced" realms of a writer's creation, which students aged 6-17 still find difficult to reach. In other words, the traditional teaching method of essays—narration, explanation, and argumentation—stimulates interest through "reading," and supports a ladder of "memorization"—"speaking"—"discussing." The prerequisite for "memorization" is observation skills, for "speaking" is analytical skills, and for "discussing" is expressive skills. The so-called "observation—analysis—expression" "new sequence" essay teaching model, in my opinion, offers little novelty.
As the main model, it has always benefited students of middle and above-average levels. Students of lower levels, or the majority, are not yet good at observation, analysis, or expression. They may even struggle with handwriting, improper use of punctuation marks, limited vocabulary, and disorganized thinking. Whether "old" or "new," the main models have to "use several keys to open dozens of locks," and the outcome is predictable. I agree with the view of Mr. Zhou Xiaokui, an editor with the People's Education Press, that the development of middle and primary school students' writing skills from the basic to the advanced stage requires passing five stages: 1. "Handwriting" stage, which cultivates writing skills through handwriting training; 2. "Language Usage" stage, which cultivates language skills through vocabulary and sentence training; 3. "Paragraph Construction" stage, which cultivates paragraph construction skills through sentence linkage training; 4. "Thesis Planning" stage, which cultivates thesis planning skills through layout and structure training; 5. "Thesis Development" stage, which cultivates critical thinking and thesis development skills through reflective training. This general development process from simple to complex is interconnected, closely linked, yet each has its own characteristics and follows a sequential order.
Therefore, although "there is no fixed method in writing," the teaching of essays in basic education is "guided by rules." It is essential to grasp the principles, proceed steadily, guide according to circumstances, and progress gradually to ensure the healthy development of writing skills. Avoid being arbitrary or jumping around, as this could lead to "forcing a seedling to grow." With this understanding, discussing examination essays becomes much clearer. Examinational essays and regular essays have no qualitative difference. If there is a distinction, perhaps it could be said that exam scores benefit more from quick wit, while regular scores benefit more from accumulation. The saying "exams are made in daily practice" holds significant meaning. When the spirit is excited and thinking is active, the efficiency of training naturally surpasses "normal" levels. This is the charm of studying examination essays.
The basic sections of this book are:
- Exam Question Insight: A brief explanation of the essay topic in one or two sentences.
- Outline Draft: A concise outline of the essay.
- Process Analysis: An evaluation of the essay's thoughts and artistry in order.
- Reflection on Strengths and Weaknesses: A teacher's brief analysis of the essay's strengths and weaknesses.
This structure not only highlights the essence of examination essays—triggering quick wit and inspiration—but also incorporates the accumulation of essay knowledge.