Occasional Papers

Occasional Papers are the single most important part of my teaching. This inquiry and writing process fosters a profound connection between my students and me through both written and oral communication in an engaging and low-pressure environment. OPs are an opportunity to speak out and speak up effectively and responsibly, enabling students to develop these skills while participating in an activity they truly look forward to each week. There is no greater joy than a student running in to tell me they had a great idea for their next OP. - Allison Scacco, English Teacher 3 & 4 (grades 11 and 12), Westlake High School, Austin, Texas The ""Occasional Paper"" was a small part of my writing course, but it was instrumental in creating an open classroom atmosphere. I was repeatedly blown away by the pieces my students wrote and shared-their personal voices were readily apparent in their writing, in a way they rarely captured in other assignments. Each Occasional Paper revealed an aspect of my students' lives that I, and their classmates, hadn't known before. I absolutely love this assignment, and it made a huge difference in the relationships my students had with each other. Many students would share something personal about their lives and would receive positive feedback and comments from their peers (and sometimes some great discussions, as time allowed). - Julia Daley is a lecturer at Hiroshima Bunkyo University, where she teaches English conversation and writing