Nathan Branson
Whatever you read here is a way for me to hash out ideas until I can talk about them in real-time with whoever is willing to join in.
Why Do Students Have to Write So Many Essays in College?
A Few Reasons Why The University System Depends so Heavily on Writing
Students often ask me “Why do we have to write so many essays in college?” Or another way to say it is “Why do I have to take this writing class if I am going to be a nurse? Writing does not relate to nursing whatsoever.”
I want to go over a few reasons why students have to write essays, specifically research essays, in their . . .
Posted in: community collegewriting tips
Why Freshman Composition Teachers Should Encourage Students to Write About Their Anxiety
Freshman Composition As a Space for Self-Reflection
“Hey Mr. Branson. Is it OK if I write my essay about the effects of divorce on children? My parents are divorced, and I want to write about the impact that divorce has on a child."
For my freshman composition class, I let students write about whatever they want to write about as long as they provide me with a realistic outline. . . .
How to Lead a College-Level Discussion
Seven Steps for Leading a Smoother Classroom Discussion
There is a real difference between leading a college-level classroom discussion and participating in a college classroom discussion.
As a literature major in undergrad, professors were constantly pushing me to form my own point of view about a book and be able to confidently articulate my thoughts in discussion. The typical . . .
Creativity is Easy, Execution is Hard
On Executing "Big Ideas" and Leadership
When it comes to leadership, I find that execution of a “big idea” is as important as the creation of the idea in the first place.
My senior year of college at UNCW, I came up with an idea, in which my literature professor helped me to turn into an on-campus panel discussion.
One Saturday afternoon in the spring of 2006, I . . .
Writing Poetry is About Being Aware of When to Write
And Less About Knowing How to Write Something That Rhymes
I started regularly writing poems in 2009 after two friends asked me to help them write song lyrics. My friends Zack, Marcus and I were sitting around a campfire late one night in the mountains. Zach was holding a guitar and Marcus was playing a banjo. Zack said “Nate, you were an English major. Do you think you teach us how to write song . . .
Distraction is No Excuse for Millennial Adults
Four Tips to Help the Untrained Brain
As a college English teacher, I often hear students flippantly self-identify as being easily distracted. My students speak as if this is unusual and inevitable. It seems as if they’ve been taught that a distracted brain cannot be cured, outside of ADHD medication.
Being a 33-year-old American adult who is easily distracted, I . . .
Three Methods for Brainstorming: Finding Creative Ideas to Write About
Finding a Place to Think, "Word Vomit" and Collaborative Brainstorming
If you are attempting to write something meaningful and cohesive you must have some method for accomplishing your writing goal. When we decide to write, we must have methods for A) getting an idea to write about or B) developing the idea we've chosen so that it is clear.
How do you write well in a loud, noisy, distracted world? . . .
