Writing lesson plans often focus on academic writing. Everyday writing, however, is far more useful. As part of your writing curriculum, include assignments that requires students to write instructions. Begin by teaching students how to write instructions, the most important of instructional writing methods.

After reading the 37th essay on Disneyland, the 26th essay on summer vacation, and the 345th essay disguised as an incoherent rant, I decided to teach how to write a reflective essay. All you need to do to teach this is take the guidelines for a narrative essay and change a word or two. Guidelines for a narrative essay include the following:

Introduction: A narrative essay doesn't necessarily have the same type of introduction as an expository or persuasive essay. The same principles, however, apply. A reflective essay should introduce the incident about which you are writing, including principal characters and setting.

Body: The body is the actual narrative part of the reflective essay. It recreates the incident with specific details. It must make the significance of the event clear.

Conclusion: The conclusion should reflect on the outcome of the incident and present the writer's feelings.

Teaching how to write a narrative or reflective essay satisfies the following common core standards.  This will impress your administrator, but bore your students.  I recommend simplifying the language when you write the objective(s) on the board.

Common Core Writing Standard 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Common Core Writing Standard 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W.9-10.4  Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in W.9-10.1-3.)
W.9-10.5  Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of L.9-10.1-3.)

An instructional writer must know his or her subject thoroughly, use appropriate and consistent word choice, use the active voice, use the imperative mood, include formatting clues, and limit first person usage. Most importantly, the writer needs to be clear and concise.
Remember as you teach how to write instructions and instructional writing methods that the purpose is to inform.

• The introduction should be very brief and should provide enough background information for the reader to determine whether or not the article will satisfy his or her need. The introduction is the only appropriate place for creativity.
• Keep it simple. Your reader doesn’t care about how much you know, where you learned your information, who your paternal grandfather dated in the 8th grade, or what color underwear you have on. They are reading your article for a specific reason. Avoid vague words or technical jargon. If a technical term must be used, be sure to define it the first time you use it.
• Remember your audience. If the reader were an expert, he or she wouldn’t need your instructions. No matter how clear you think you are, somebody will misinterpret the directions. Pictures are helpful.

When learning or teaching how to write instructions, remember the purpose is to give instructions.

• The most important section of an instructional article is the instructions. Your article should follow a natural progression of steps, broken into small parts for easy comprehension. Numbered and bulleted lists along with strategic spacing make articles easier to understand. If the order of steps does not matter, use bullets. If the order does matter, use numbers
• Show clearly who does what if multiple parties are involved. Begin each instruction with an imperative verb. Don’t mix background information with instructional tasks. Be specific on what the reader should do after completing each task.

Make sure instructions are clear!  Conduct an experiment before completing your final draft.

1. Find volunteers to read your instructions and implement them
2. Observe
3. Take note of any problem
4. Revise and repeat until satisfied with the results.

Step-by-step instructions for writing different types of essays can be accessed by the following links.

1. Problem-Solution Essay
2. Persuasive Essay
3. Narrative Essay
4. Instructional Article
5. Literary Analysis
6. How to Write a Tall-Tale
7. How to Write an Article Critique
8. Cause and Effect Essay