The first step to tackling any essay is to…
(nope, not freak out, moan, or procrastinate – although those are common)
is to…
dissect the question to determine what it’s really asking.
To do this, I train students in the 2-step Topic and Focus system.
However, their next challenge is to ward off marker feedback of
‘hasn’t quite answered the Q‘
by ensuring they actually respond to that key focus and stay on track in their response.
I’ve got a cool little trick that gets the essay focus super-clear
and helps make sure the response is consistently addressing it.
I used it with a student on a group coaching call and I’m sharing with you that real life example
(PLUS!… A great example of a ‘Topic Trap’ – and how to avoid it!)
so you can see it in action:
