| I have had the opportunity of being an instructor for | | | | would cause me many headaches. He said that even |
| almost three decades, and involved in teaching for | | | | at a university level, simply hearing that you have to |
| more than 3 decades. During that time period I have | | | | write a research paper usually sent many students |
| taught elementary, grades 9-12, college preparatory | | | | into a tail spin. |
| and most recently post high school students. For me, | | | | Determined, I ignored his best intentions and |
| it was a constant struggle keeping lessons fun, | | | | ventured into research paper territory. The first |
| interactive and rewarding for each student. As my | | | | session of the course I handed out the curriculum for |
| classes focused on older students, making the | | | | the class. This included the name of the course |
| gradual change from young to older, I noticed a | | | | textbook, the dates of the tests and the |
| consistent issue that each generation of kids became | | | | requirement that everyone would write a research |
| nearly terrified by: how to write a research paper. | | | | paper. |
| Initially, I thought nothing of the response I received | | | | I explained that the quizzes as well as the |
| when asking for such assignments to be completed. | | | | participation in group-think would be a majority of the |
| At first, I simply defined the usual groaning as a | | | | grade and the research paper would be the other |
| student's dislike of my love for homework. But, what | | | | 33%. In the same breath that possessing those skills |
| I was dismissing and defining as being disgruntled, | | | | seriously would make it more likely to win a grant or |
| actually had much more substance below the surface; | | | | scholarship. I handed out schedules and deadlines for |
| these pupils were sometimes downright | | | | the dissertation. I wanted the topic they chose as |
| overwhelmed when they heard mention of a | | | | well as a rough briefing completed in the first two |
| "research paper". | | | | weeks and then various updates on progress |
| Worry about the something outside their comfort | | | | throughout the course. |
| zone, being buried in heavy tomes, and not having a | | | | My plan and execution of my set calendar dates |
| clue how to brainstorm research paper ideas was | | | | "forced" the paper to be done in small chunks, rather |
| frequent. older teens envisioning a barrier to climb, | | | | than the typical giant one, when many students, kids |
| because they were clueless about how to write a | | | | or adults, sit down at the last minute and try to |
| research paper, rarely truly believed me that in life's | | | | accomplish a mammoth amount worth of work in |
| big picture, completing a dissertation, even one that | | | | one all-nighter. Unnecessary worry and nervousness in |
| was very lengthy, was barely a blip on the radar, | | | | my way of thinking. And with the basics of how to |
| compared to much more significant, life impacting | | | | effectively write a research paper devoured in small |
| challenges they'd eventually face as grownups. Those | | | | chunks throughout the class, semester or year |
| ideas fell on a non-responsive audience most of the | | | | depending on course and / or school, initial panic |
| time. | | | | about even the most simple section: not having a |
| Unable to look towards the whole essence or the | | | | research paper outline example, seemed less and less |
| long overall result, their immediate reality was a | | | | a major undertaking. |
| looming deadline that could only be met by | | | | Whether narrowing down a long series of passages |
| participating in something they weren't interested in, | | | | formatted neat and succinctly summarizing research |
| that conflicted with their extracurricular activities or | | | | paper ideas, writing each necessary element, keeping |
| that made them uneasy facing new challenges: how | | | | each research paper properly formatted for an |
| to write a research paper, and do it right - not just | | | | instructor who was known to be very picky about |
| to pass or fail, but earn the marks that | | | | such particulars, or pacing themselves to guarantee |
| post-middle-school institutions, hold in high value. | | | | term paper completion by the designated time, when |
| When I first began teaching at the post high-school | | | | deconstructed into smaller pieces, how to write a |
| level I planned to give a full term assignment to write | | | | research paper fears slowly, but surely go away. |
| a research paper on a(n) subject of each student's | | | | Follow along for the next article: Research Paper |
| most passionate concern. | | | | Ideas, the Easy Way - Finding Subject Matter That |
| The dean of our department warned me that this | | | | Wins Scholarships. |