MISS DOLL

Not all those who wander are lost- J.R.R Tolkien

Category: Professional Development

Persuasive Language is Powerful Language

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On 24 May 2025

In Literacy, Professional Development

In my opinion, one of the most empowering skills we as teachers of all subjects and grades can teach is how to form a viewpoint, support it with logic and evidence, and express it persuasively. Whether students are advocating for climate action, petitioning for school change, deabting the best type of cookie in class or writing letters on human rights issues, persuasive writing connects academic outcomes with real-world voice and agency.

But persuasive writing doesn’t come easily for all students, honestly it doesnt come easy for MOST students. Many struggle with organizing ideas, adopting a formal tone, or even knowing when to speak up and the best ways in which to do so. For students who are neurodivergent, English language learners, or navigating school with an IEP, language can feel more like a barrier than a bridge and it is up to us educators to build the supports to help students safely traverse the powers of language.

That’s why this year, I’ve begun to reframe my persuasive writing unit (from my teaching practicums), to use with my 2025/2026 modified language class, around language awareness, inclusive scaffolding, and identity-affirming practice. This post reflects that shift, and how I’m integrating sociolinguistic understanding into a core academic task.

Persuasive Writing: Where to start to gain control?

Too often, students enter high school with strong opinions but weak confidence and/or ability in expressing them persuasively. In my own classroom, I see students with brilliant insights, but who freeze when asked to write a “formal” argument. Others slip into overly casual language, unsure of the difference between texting a friend and writing a persuasive letter. We recently had an inclass debate on Pie’s. I asked the students “Which is the better pie – Blueberry or Strawberry Rhubarb?” and to support there choice with 2 – 3 points that would convince me that yes their pie choice is clearly better. What I observed was many students could tell me which is better in their opinion but not support their choice. Some students were able to give more surface level supports to their arguement and then one student let me know that not only has he never had these two pie types he has NEVER had a pie in his life but has had cake and gave me several reasons that cake was the better dessert! This little icebreaking debate led to some fun inclass arguements going forward as my kiddos developed some persuasive skills that will better them in the long run.

Persuasive writing, then, is not just a genre-it’s a life tool. Persuasive writing helps students to “develop logical arguments and a cohesive summary to support their opinions”¹. But to get there, students need control over the purpose, structure, and tone of persuasive texts.

That control doesn’t come through rote learning. It comes through discussion, modeling, voice-building, and feedback, all of which are intentionally woven into my approach this year.

Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing – The 4 ways in which we develop our Language Skills.

Students need to hear strong ideas, talk through their thinking, see examples, and write with purpose, and they need to do all of that in a safe space that honours who they are and how they speak. Learning new language skills can be super intimidating so I make it fun and use silly starting topics like Pie flavours or asking students which Italian Brain rot character has more “rizz” and why its Tralalero tralala (its all the rage with the kids right now – could not begin to tell you why or how).

This approach also responds to what we see every day in inclusive classrooms. Not every student walks in with the same access to academic language, but every student has something to say. When we slow down and teach the structure, the tone, and the power of words, we’re not just building better essays, we’re building confidence. Including language diversity and sociolinguistic awareness in our teaching isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must if we want our classrooms to reflect the real world and truly empower all learners.

To develop confidence and control, I integrate all four language strands:

Listening: Hear It First

We begin with persuasive media—youth speeches from Kiddy123’s TED Talks or Build a Biz Kids’ KidTalks are great models to start with. Listening to news media and political debates are also selections that can be made that allow for students to focus on tone, language, and structure before they try it themselves.

Reading: Analyze Mentor Texts

We read relevant persuasive texts—such as letters to the principal or environmental opinion pieces—and annotate for structure and language. We build anchor charts with thesis examples, modal verbs, transitions, and calls to action.

We analyze a mix of student-written and published persuasive texts. We focus on:

  • Structure (thesis, reasons, evidence, counterargument, conclusion)
  • Language (modal verbs, rhetorical questions, linking phrases)
  • Tone and audience awareness

Drawing on Academic Language in Diverse Classrooms by Gottlieb and Ernst-Slavit, we explore the meta-linguistic awareness needed to “see how language choices shape meaning and purpose in discipline-specific genres”³. This includes using color-coded examples and guided annotation templates to scaffold reading comprehension.

Writing: Scaffolded Drafting

I model a full persuasive paragraph using a graphic organizer and sentence frames. We co-write as a class, revise for stronger wording, and explore tone. Students then work on their own persuasive pieces, with differentiation supports like speech-to-text, templates, and peer feedback.

ogether, we co-write a class example—usually on a topic they care about, like phones in school or longer lunch breaks. I model how to:

  • Develop a clear thesis
  • Choose three focused arguments
  • Add reasoning and evidence
  • Address counterpoints
  • Conclude with a call to action

We use graphic organizers, sentence stems, and revision strategies. We revise weak claims like “We should recycle” into “We must recycle to reduce landfill waste and protect our planet for future generations.”

As Sedita (2018) notes, explicit instruction in academic language is critical, especially when students may not use “school English” at home⁴. Sentence-level modeling makes academic forms feel achievable—not intimidating.

Speaking: Low-Stakes to Public Speaking

Students rehearse ideas through partner debates and small group presentations before sharing their speeches with the class—or recording them. We use sentence stems and “power words” to boost confidence. ( If you want a fun tip, bring in some MASSIVE blazers that students can put on to feel ‘suited up’ for their debate – my kids love this)

Persuasive writing is also about performance. Students rehearse their arguments orally through:

  • Think-pair-share debates
  • Group discussions
  • Small audience previews
  • Full-class speeches or recorded videos

Zwiers (2019) emphasizes the importance of “academic conversations” as a pathway to deeper comprehension and clearer writing⁵. When students speak through their ideas first, they gain clarity in their thinking and confidence in their voice.

Structure thoughts make for Structured Arguements.

During my practicum experiences, I often skimmed over the structure of persuasive writing—assuming students “got it” once they heard a few examples. But as Grifenhagen and Barnes (2022) argue, “genre structures must be made visible, practiced repeatedly, and revisited across contexts”⁶.

This year, I plan to introduce:

  • A visual framework for persuasive writing (with color-coded thesis, support, and conclusion)
  • Student-friendly exemplars
  • A co-created success criteria chart

I will also aime to unpack the language of counterarguments, linking phrases, and calls to action with real examples. The difference in students’ final pieces has been significant—not just clearer structure, but more purposeful voice. Now I havent yet done this so I am not sure on my success but am confident that creating building blocks for students to build upon will be benefitial in the long run to their learning of persuasive language but also in their learning of academic writing skills. Whats so great to me about this Structure plan is that I can integrate it cross curricularly as its not just something to work into English and Socials but would also be useful in some Science lab work and perhaps Careers.

How you can utilise this within the Social Studies domain

Now as I have mentioned a few times my official title is as an Inclusive Ed teacher (formerly Special Ed) and not really that of a subject teacher but I do have a love of humanities an will be running a modified Socials program at my highschool next year. While pondering the best ways to instruct perusasive writing techniques I thought of what I already teach now and how to build up from there.

While persuasive writing fits squarely into English Language Arts, it’s also a powerful tool in Social Studies, where students examine power, justice, and decision-making; which means I have many places in which I can integrate persuasive writing into our curriculum. Some ideas I thought of include:

  • Advocating for more gender-neutral bathrooms
  • Making fake propoganda during a war/political study
  • ‘Letters from the front’ excersises
  • Petitioning for environmental action
  • Writing to local politicians about youth mental health

These ideas all connect directly to the BC SS9 curricular competencies:

“Acknowledge different perspectives on people, places, issues, or events in their lives (perspective)

Identify fair and unfair aspects of events, decisions, or actions in their lives and consider appropriate courses of action (ethical judgment)

Through persuasive writing, students learn that their voice matters, not just on paper, but in policy, community, and change.

Language, Identity and Power – Sociolinguistic Integration

Language is never just about sentence structure or spelling instead it’s about identity, belonging, and power. This understanding has been deepened during my current Queen’s course, CONT938, through my exploration of sociolinguistics (the study of language in relation to social factors, including differences of regional, class, and occupational dialect, gender differences, and bilingualism), which emphasizes that language variation is normal, meaningful, and rule-governed, even if it doesn’t match the so-called “standard” English used in school (CrashCourse, 2020).

In fact, in his TES podcast, Robert Drummond explains that young people’s slang and dialects aren’t mistakes, they’re identity markers. That statement really shifted how I approach classroom language. Instead of asking students to abandon their voice in favour of formality, I am now aiming to help them reflect on when and how they shift their language intentionally – without erasing their previous dialects and knoweldge.

So, during our future persuasive writing unit, I plan to invite students to consider:

  • Who am I writing for?
  • What tone will be most persuasive to that audience?
  • How can I sound like myself and still meet the expectations of the assignment?

These questions help students see language choice as power, not pressure. Matt Levinson (2012) writes about code-switching in teens’ digital lives and highlights how naturally students already shift between texting, speaking at home, and writing for school (no-one really uses text slang in our verbal dialect, not many say LOL outloud or BRB). Rather than correcting those shifts, we can help students understand them as strategic and skillful tools.

This mindset moves us from a deficit-based approach (correcting “improper” grammar) to an asset-based one, where students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds are seen as strengths rather than weaknesses. Washington (n.d.) reminds us that when educators ignore the home language patterns of Black students and other students with differing home dialexts, we risk distancing them from literacy altogether. Similarly, Colorín Colorado (n.d.) advocates for teaching that celebrates multilingual and multicultural identities while still providing access to academic success.

“Young people’s slang and local dialects aren’t mistakes. They’re identity markers.”

Robert Drummond

So how can I celebrate all dialects while instructing a new academic dialect?

  • Encouraging students to brainstorm or draft in their home language or dialect
  • Discussing real-life examples of code-switching and what it feels like
  • Highlighting persuasive speakers who blend personal voice with professional impact
  • Explicitly teaching when and why formal tone might be effective, without framing it as “better”

Teaching persuasive writing is ultimately about more than essays, it’s about empowering students to recognize their language as valid, to make intentional choices, and to advocate for themselves and otheres with confidence. When we acknowledge the links between language, identity, and power, we invite students not just to meet the standards we have set for them, but to also question it, reshape it, and take their place within it.

Ultimately, teaching persuasive writing isn’t just about building strong arguments. It’s about helping students understand that their voices matter and that their language, in all its forms, is valid and valuable. When we center identity and power in our writing instruction, we’re not just teaching writing. We’re inviting students to take up space with confidence, and that’s a kind of literacy they’ll carry with them long after the unit ends.

Sources for further exploration:

The Importance of Language: Understanding Dialectal Differences in the Classroom.

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On 19 May 2025

In Literacy

Every student brings into their classes unique linguistic backgrounds which allows for each classroom to shape its own distinct identity. English, as many of us have come to know, is not a uniform language; It is a collection of distinct dialects that has amalgameted into one common tongue (we can thank immigration and colonialism for the many worldly dialects of English we recognise today. Some students and peers will bring to our classrooms a nonstandard dialect of the english language ( African-American English, Asian-American English, Indigenous English dialects, Canadian English etc) which differ in grammar, pronunciation and/or vocabulary from ‘Standard’ English which we use most often in Academia and the professional sphere.

Now it is important that we never erase these dialects from our community but instead embrace them – Language is continuously developing anyhow – and Teachers play a key roll in the validation and support of these distinct linguistic identities while continuouly promoting the development of academic language within the classroom.

What Teachers Need to Know:

  1. Dialectal Variations are NOT an error
    • Nonstandard dialects follow consistent grammatical rules and patterns that are both valid and acceptable. They are just as linguistically rich as Standard English
  2. Linguistic Prejudice (Linguicism) can harm learners both academically and emotionally
    • When we sublty (or not so subtly) correct, mock or devalue a student’s home dialect we risk alienating them and undermining their confidence in their new dialect. It could also reinforce damaging social hieracrchies that do still exhist which are tied to race, class and social/physical geography.

Recognizing and accepting the linguistic diversity students bring to the classroom is crucial to bettering our school community. By understanding that dialectal variations are not errors but expressions of rich linguistic backgrounds, educators can foster inclusive environments that support all students’ academic and emotional well-being, ultamitly bettering our schools in the long run.

What Might You Obsesrve?

In your classroom, you might notice students:

  • Code-Switching: the quick switch back and forth between dialects depending on who they’re talking to.
  • Using nonstandard grammar or vocabulary in oral responses or informal writing.
  • Feeling hesitant to speak up in academic settings – Anxiety is real, and we are in the times of the anxious generation, it can be hard for many of our kiddos to speak up.
  • Writing in ways that reflect their spoken dialect.
  • Seeming confused or frustrated when their language use is corrected, especially if they weren’t aware their dialect differs from Standard English.
  • Struggling with reading comprehension—not due to ability, but because the text uses unfamiliar dialects or vocabulary structures that differ from their home language. This could also be a slower reading pace than what is ‘typical’.

Students may also exhibit differences in their academic writing abilities and spoken fluency, not because they are “behind,” but rather because they are simultaneously navigating several language/dialect systems. Bilingualism or bidialecticism is a cognitive skill that these students frequently possess, but it might not be acknowledged without careful, knowledgeable instruction.

How Should We Teachers Respond?

Affirm identity: Encourage students to see their home language or dialect as a source of strength and pride. Validate their ways of speaking as part of who they are by minimizing our critisims and corrections of another dialect.

Teach code-switching with care: Teach pupils that different registers are used for different purposes—not because one is superior, but because different situations call for different instruments!

Model inclusive language practices: Refrain from saying one version is “correct” and another is “wrong.” Instead, use terms like “formal,” “academic,” “home,” or “community” language to describe context-based differences. This subtle change in language shows students that we recognise their home language as being valid and valued.

Incorporate diverse voices: Bring in speakers of different English dialects, literature, and films. This demonstrates to kids that assimilation is not necessary for success and helps normalise language variance.

Language is Power

The way we speak tells stories of who we are, where we come from, and what communities we belong to. By honoring all our students’ dialects, we are also honoring their histories, families, and futures. Academic English is a valuable tool, for sure I wont deny that, but it is just one of many skills our students will need to learn in the classroom. Our job is not to replace a student’s home language, but to add to their linguistic toolkit. In doing so, we expand their power and agency, not shrink it.

Suggested Links to Further Your Inquisivity:

Digital Citizenship

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On 30 August 2024

In Professional Development

The capacity to utilize technology sensibly, securely, and politely is known as digital citizenship. It refers to the capacity to safeguard private information on the internet, reduce the risks brought on by cyber threats or other online threats, and use information and media in a polite, informed, and lawful manner. In my second practicum, I taught an entire unit of Digital Media Literacy to two eighth-grade English classes, which makes me feel very prepared to discuss it here today as well as share lesson plans that I designed or developed from lessons found on MediaSmart.ca.

Safety on the internet is of major concern no matter your age, but learning how to navigate the internet safely is not something that comes naturally to most people. With the increased use of artificial intelligence (A.I) being introduced online your privacy can be more at risk. How so? Increased use of scam websites, phishing, and location discoveries are more and more common – especially due to the amount of time we all as individuals spend online, “teenagers spend 7 hours and 22 minutes per day in front of screens. That equates to 43% of a teen’s waking hours. By comparison, that’s 24 minutes more than the global average of 6 hours 58 minutes.” (Exploding topics).

There is also a feeling of a certain safety when you are online as a digital citizen, you feel safe to get away with things you may not be able to do in ‘real’ life – and while it may feel like you are anonymous online, you aren’t. This may be because you made your accounts with a common email or phone number, perhaps you linked your accounts – it’s very hard to be truly anonymous. Your digital footprint is forever connected to you, you may grow up and realize an old post you made is not something you align with anymore but you can’t just delete it (you can try) because somewhere there is a footprint (screen shots, a data history, etc) and your erasing of the post doesn’t remove it from your footprint. This can be devastating to some as it may result in you not getting hired in certain roles or perhaps becoming ‘canceled’ later down the road.

So how does one become a good Digital Citizen?

Here are a few ways one can become a good digital citizen:

  • Be Kind – Treat others with kindness and respect both on and offline
  • Dont take everything at face value, don’t believe all that you see – take the time to investigate and find the truth
  • Dont take others’ materials/work and claim it as yours – give credit where credit is deserved, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE
  • Be careful with what you share – keep personal identity (IDs, Credit Cards) off of your posts and think about if you want to be tied to a post that’s racist, homophobic, or otherwise hurtful for once it is posted you have no control over how it’s taken.

Lesson Plans:

Intro-to-misinfo-lesson-1Download
LESSON-PLAN-MAY-28-29Download

Professional Development: ASD and Sensory Differences

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On 8 February 2024

In Professional Development

On Monday the 29th of January I attended a workshop hosted by POPARD (Provincial Outreach Program For Autism & Related Disorders) on ASD and Sensory Differences. The main topic covered was that of senses broken down into side topics of The Seven Senses, Regulation and Sensory difficulty.

This workshop was a wonderful source of basic information surrounding ASD and children who live with sensory differences. It was a great introduction to terminology, and recognising student under-stimulation to over-stimulation.

What are senses? Senses allow us to observe and understand the world around us

Something that I found especially interesting was the introduction to the Seven senses which expands on my previous knowledge of the five senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell). The Seven Senses add the vestibular and proprioception to the previous list of five. Vestibular refers to the vestibule that is found within the ear; the vestibule is connected to the sense of movement and balance. Proprioception refers to awareness of the body such as pressure and positions.

Below I have attached a great learning resource depicting the seven senses.

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Sensory Integration and Regulation

Sensory integration is a skill that all people develop over time and at different rates. My understanding of sensory integration is that it is how we receive information, organise information and then use that information to interact with our environments. Integration is more difficult for some than others, after all, we are all unique individuals, and sometimes we can experience dysregulation or “sensory overload”. Sensory overload can be scary, and triggers are unique to the individual. Some potential triggers may include noise levels, visual stimuli, clutter, transition periods, scents, lighting, personal space boundaries and seating arrangements.

According to Shanker (2013), there are five interrelated domains we can use to better understand self-regulation. Below I have attached the model in which the workshop shared with us.

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Breaking down the 5 Domain Mode:

  • Biological
    • Four neural mechanisms within the brain deal with stress
      • social engagement
      • fight or flight
      • freeze
      • disassociation
        • there is a hierarchy for responding to stressors that typically follows this listing
    • Through being regulated a child develops the ability to self-regulate.
      • a regulated child/person does not mean a managed child
    • A person becomes chronically hypo-aroused or hyperaroused if/when their central control system has become overwhelmed
  • Emotional
    • many students, especially younger students, find it difficult to “monitor, evaluate and modify” their emotions
    • the more hyper-aroused the student is the less capacity they will have to monitor their emotions
    • Young students experience emotions to an intense extent. Reactions to these emotions may be sudden and can feel ‘catastrophic’
  • Cognitive
    • Refers to any of the mental processes involved in knowledge acquisition
      • includes: attention, memory, problem-solving, perception
    • Sustained concentration is a high-cost demand on the child’s auto-nervous system
    • Many if not most attentional problems appear to be due to sensory processing challenges (auditory, visual, physical sensory etc.) which can appear subtly and can easily be overlooked.
  • Social
    • This domain’s problem lies in the arousal created by social engagement.
  • Pro-Social
    • It is not normal for children to display anti-social behaviour (but what exactly is normal?)
    • There are biological mechanisms that result in anti-social behaviours in the right circumstances
    • Stress overload is a leading cause in non-prosocial behaviour

How to best help our students when they get Over-Stimulated

  • Create a Safe and consistent quiet space
    • Some classes rooms I have observed have reading nooks and quiet carpeted corners
  • Take the class outside for a walk
  • Lead the entire class through meditation/ mindful breathing exercises
  • Allow students access to over-ear headphones to cut out loud surrounding sounds
  • 54321 Method
    • Lead your student through a grounding exercises in which you ask them to name
      • 5 things they see
      • 4 things they touch/feel
      • 3 things they hear
      • 2 things they smell
      • and 1 thing they taste

(I have only ever encountered the 54321 method in very rare/minimal circumstances typically involving extreme anxiety)

  1. CEBM. Theoretical Framework SENSORY AND THE OT PERSPECTIVE ↩︎
  2. Shanker, 2013. as cited POPARD ASD and Sensory Difficulties workshop, 2024 ↩︎

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