The Edvocate

Top Menu

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Books
    • Contact Us
    • Edupedia
  • PreK-12
    • Assessment
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development
    • Classroom Management
    • Early Childhood
    • EdTech & Innovation
    • Education Leadership
    • Equity
    • First Year Teachers
    • Gifted and Talented Education
    • Parental Involvement
    • Policy & Reform
    • Special Education
    • Teachers
  • Higher Ed
    • Best Colleges and Universities
    • Best College and University Programs
    • Diversity
    • HBCU’s
    • Higher Education
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • International Education
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • The Tech Edvocate Awards
    • The Awards Process
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Award Seals
  • Apps
    • GPA Calculator for College
    • GPA Calculator for High School
    • Cumulative GPA Calculator
    • Grade Calculator
    • Weighted Grade Calculator
    • Final Grade Calculator
  • The Tech Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • The Edvocate Podcast

logo

The Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Books
    • Contact Us
    • Edupedia
  • PreK-12
    • Assessment
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development
    • Classroom Management
    • Early Childhood
    • EdTech & Innovation
    • Education Leadership
    • Equity
    • First Year Teachers
    • Gifted and Talented Education
    • Parental Involvement
    • Policy & Reform
    • Special Education
    • Teachers
  • Higher Ed
    • Best Colleges and Universities
    • Best College and University Programs
    • Diversity
    • HBCU’s
    • Higher Education
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • International Education
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • The Tech Edvocate Awards
    • The Awards Process
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Award Seals
  • Apps
    • GPA Calculator for College
    • GPA Calculator for High School
    • Cumulative GPA Calculator
    • Grade Calculator
    • Weighted Grade Calculator
    • Final Grade Calculator
  • The Tech Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • The Edvocate Podcast
  • How to Teach Students to Find the Main Idea

  • An Overview of Explicit Instruction

  • How To Encourage Reading At Home: A Checklist

  • The Most Popular College Applications Today

  • Using Picture Walks to Motivate Students to Read

  • 2022 Best Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Risk Management

  • How To Develop An Internal Locus Of Control

  • Helping Children With Reading Complex Text

  • How is the SAT Scored?

  • Proven Steps for Writing a Common Application Essay

StudentsTeachersWriting
Home›Students›14 Engaging Strategies that Students Can Use to Begin an Essay

14 Engaging Strategies that Students Can Use to Begin an Essay

By Matthew Lynch
October 22, 2019
Spread the love

If you don’t know much about my background, I spent 2 decades as a K-12 teacher and university professor. One of the hardest things to do was to teach students to write effective essays. As a special education and social studies teacher in K-12 and a professor of education at the university level, I stockpiled lots of tips for helping students to develop outstanding essays.

Today, I want to talk about the methods that I taught students to use to begin their essays. As we all know, an effective introductory paragraph can mean the difference between an essay that motivates and persuades or one that fails to connect with its audience. It lets your readers know what your essay is going to be about and sets a tone that can encourage them to keep reading.

There are tons of ways to begin an essay effectively. Here are the 14 introductory strategies that I taught my students to use when starting a new composition. These are merely suggestions, and I have had plenty of students to use them as inspiration to create their own methods.

  1. Begin with a joke, anecdote, or humorous quotation, and connect this with something about your subject. Throughout your essay, you can include callbacks that reference or tie back to the original joke or humorous statement.
  2. Make a contrast between reality and image—that is, between a stereotype and the actual truth. 
  3. Succinctly describe a process that leads to your subject. 
  4. Utilize a delay: which means putting off introducing the theme of your essay to pique your readers’ interest without overly frustrating them. The tension entices readers to brace for the big reveal.
  5. Contrast the past and present of your subject to introduce it to the reader. 
  6. Discuss your thesis succinctly and directly but avoid being obvious (“This essay is about…”). 
  7. Ask a question related to the subject and then invite others to answer it. Another variation would have you to ask and answer the question.
  8. Utilize a historical event in the present tense. This means that you will be discussing and framing it as if it were occurring now. 
  9. Introduce your essay as a new discovery or revelation. 
  10. Discuss a unique fact about the subject that you plan to discuss.
  11. Describe the setting of your essay. 
  12. Reenact an event that exaggerates or satires your subject. 
  13. Tell a secret about yourself that no one knows.
  14. Talk candidly or frankly about your subject. 

What did I miss? What strategies do your students use to begin their essays? Place your advice in the comment section below.


Spread the love
Previous Article

Reducing the ‘Toxic Stress’ of Starting High ...

Next Article

18 of the Best 2nd Grade Science ...

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • Personalized LearningTeachers

    My Vision for the Future of Personalized Learning in Schools

    May 24, 2018
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Writing

    Emergent Writing Is a Tool To Better Understand Student Communication Skills

    February 6, 2021
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Teachers

    3 Pieces of Game-Changing Advice for New and Mid-Career Teachers

    January 16, 2019
    By Matthew Lynch
  • listMatthew LynchPolicy & ReformTeachers

    5 Expert Tips on Working with Homeless Students

    March 19, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Ask An ExpertTeachers

    The 10 expectations students have for learning

    March 7, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • pass or fail
    Teachers

    15 Teaching Strategies That Will Help You Reach All Learners

    July 15, 2019
    By Matthew Lynch

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • Artificial Intelligence

    In a World of Artificial Intelligence, Where Does Emotional Intelligence Fit In?

  • Artificial Intelligence

    26 Ways That Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Transforming Education for the Better

  • Artificial Intelligence

    What will AI Mean for Higher Education?

Search

Registration and Login

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Subscribe to The Edvocate Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • How to Teach Students to Find the Main Idea

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 11, 2021
  • An Overview of Explicit Instruction

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 10, 2021
  • How To Encourage Reading At Home: A Checklist

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 9, 2021
  • The Most Popular College Applications Today

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 9, 2021
  • Using Picture Walks to Motivate Students to Read

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 9, 2021
  • 18 Reasons the U.S. Education System is Failing

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 3, 2017
  • The Top 5 Unexpected Benefits of Early Childhood Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 29, 2016
  • 7 Benefits of STEM Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    January 12, 2019
  • The Dark Side of Educational Technology

    By Matthew Lynch
    October 15, 2016
  • Transformational vs. Contemporary Leadership Styles

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 28, 2016
  • How M-Learning is Transforming Online Education - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    April 8, 2021

    Learning Upgrade Launches New Mobile App to Serve ELLs on the Go

    […] great aspect of ...
  • Joey Udager
    on
    April 7, 2021

    The Top 5 Unexpected Benefits of Early Childhood Education

    Although I agree that ...
  • on
    April 7, 2021

    18 Reasons the U.S. Education System is Failing

    You seem incredibly well-spoken ...
  • Savannah Langve
    on
    April 7, 2021

    What are the Pros and Cons of 4-Day School Weeks?

    four days of school ...
  • 20 Educators Share Their Exemplary Teaching Expertise!
    on
    April 7, 2021

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 13: How I Avoid Burning Out

    […] a fact, Episode ...

Ask an Expert

  • Ask An Expert

    How Dumbed Down Education Is Creating a National Security Crisis

    Spread the loveFor the past few decades, our country’s educational system has seen both struggle and tremendous change. With the various ailments plaguing our educational system, education reforms have attempted ...
  • Ask An Expert

    21 Inspirational Quotes That Nelson Mandela Made About Education

    Spread the loveWe all have our heroes. Those human beings that seem larger than life and almost achieve Godlike status. One of my heroes is the late-great Nelson Mandela, who ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssistive TechnologyCareer ReadinessChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesDiversityEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFirst Year TeachersFreshHigh SchoolK-12Middle SchoolModern ParentingParent & Family TechParental InvolvementParentingPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformPreK-12Special EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachers

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 7: How Digital Age Teachers Can Win Over Parents

    Spread the loveEducation is a collaborative process, as it takes many stakeholders working in unison to help students succeed academically. One of the most integral parts of this collaborative team ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Online Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out

    Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. To ensure that the next ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementCurrent Ed NewsDigital LeadershipEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEdTech Startups & BusinessesEducation LeadershipEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Matthew LynchModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTestingYear-Round Schooling

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher

    Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? I respond by mentioning my 10th-grade Biology teacher, Mrs. Minor, and ...

International Education

  • International EducationLanguage DevelopmentLanguage EducationMultilingual Education

    Using Choral Responses as a Tool for Teaching Multilingual Learners

    Spread the loveChoral responses are a  tool for teaching a different language to a class. Choral responses are the oral response to a prompt. In the classroom setting, you might ...
  • Higher EducationInternational Education

    Is Medical School for Me?

    Spread the loveThere is no doubt that a medical career is regarded with high prestige. To be honest, being identified as a “Doctor” is fantastic. It not only shows that ...
  • International Education

    How Can We Improve Teacher Training in the World’s Poorest Countries?

    Spread the loveAccess to education is a basic human right and a subject of importance in every part of the world. The desire and dedication to go to school are ...
  • International Education

    How COVID-19 is Creating a Global Education Crisis

    Spread the loveWhile the novel coronavirus has brought the entire world to a standstill, it’s the education sector that will suffer the most consequences. Almost all across the globe, the ...
  • International Education

    Which Countries Provide Free Education At A University Level?

    Spread the loveAlmost two dozen countries provide free or nearly-free university-level education to their citizens. Some even allow students from other countries to participate in their free education programs; some ...

Early Childhood Education

  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Using Picture Walks to Motivate Students to Read

    Spread the lovePicture walks are an activity that is completed before reading occurs. The reader views the pictures of the story and predicts what they think is occurring. This activates ...
  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Helping Kids Learn to Read with Automaticity

    Spread the loveAutomacity is the ability to look at a word and read it within one second of seeing it. Word automaticity is essential for fluency and comprehension. Fluency develops ...
  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Helping a Student Increase Their WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) and Reading Accuracy

    Spread the loveAn educator must utilize assessments such as the WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) to plan for responsive instruction, especially among learners struggling with reading skills. Educators fail to ...
  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Helping Students Learn to Read With Accuracy

    Spread the loveThe evaluation of reading accuracy depends on the capability to make words in a manuscript. Reading accuracy is the automatic process of interpretation and integration of appropriate expressions ...
  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Assessing Reading Accuracy and Automaticity

    Spread the loveThe percentage of the words a reader can engage correctly within a given period decides the reading accuracy. This is an essential measure for reading proficiency since it ...

Gifted and Talented Education

  • Gifted and Talented EducationK-12Psychology and Education

    Understanding Intrapersonal Intelligence

    Spread the loveIntrapersonal intelligence is one of the eight multiple intelligences coined by Howard Gardner. The Multiple Intelligence Theory suggests that there are eight “modalities of intelligence,” which challenges the ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    All About Child Prodigies

    Spread the loveWhether you are reading this article as a student, parent, or educator, you have undoubtedly heard about the term child prodigy at least once in your lifetime. Although ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    The Edvocate’s Guide to Working With Twice-Exceptional Students

    Spread the loveTwice-exceptional is a term used to explain kids who have exceptional talents in some educational areas and challenges in others. In some instances, a twice-exceptional learner could theoretically ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    Implementing Curriculum Compacting in Your Classroom

    Spread the loveAll educators agree that differentiating instruction for students is very important. Yet, many districts cannot put this policy into practice. An almost unlimited amount of remedial curricular content ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    What Does Academic Enrichment Involve?

    Spread the loveAcademic enrichment activities in the class can take numerous forms and do not always involve prescribed lessons from the curriculum. Enrichment encourages learners to take a more expansive ...

Black Boys in Crisis Series

  • Black Boys in Crisis

    The Importance of Mentoring Young African-American Males

    Spread the loveTeachers need to realize that at home, in their neighborhoods, and in school, many students face difficulties that can interfere with learning. Compared to their middle-class counterparts, it ...
  • Black Boys in CrisisDiversityEquity

    7 Ways That Black Students are Discriminated Against in U.S K-12 Schools

    Spread the loveAfrican Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. It should come as no surprise that their children face the same ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Online Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out

    Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. To ensure that the next ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementCurrent Ed NewsDigital LeadershipEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEdTech Startups & BusinessesEducation LeadershipEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Matthew LynchModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTestingYear-Round Schooling

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher

    Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? I respond by mentioning my 10th-grade Biology teacher, Mrs. Minor, and ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDisabilitiesDiversityEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGifted and Talented EducationHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Middle SchoolModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningParent & Family TechParentingPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformSecondary EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 4: How to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom

    Spread the loveBuilding a culturally responsive classroom is hard. To help you along your journey, here is your guide to exploring and respecting the cultural backgrounds of your students while ...

RSS Matthew on Education Week

  • Au Revoir from Education Futures November 20, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • 6 Steps to Data-Driven Literacy Instruction October 17, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Four Keys to a Modern IT Approach in K-12 Schools October 2, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? September 27, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Revisiting Using Edtech for Bullying and Suicide Prevention September 10, 2018 Matthew Lynch

About Us

The Edvocate was created in 2014 to argue for shifts in education policy and organization in order to enhance the quality of education and the opportunities for learning afforded to P-20 students in America. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of American’s P-20 system.

That reorganization, though, and the underlying effort, will have much to do with reviving the American education system, and reviving a national love of learning.  The Edvocate plans to be one of key architects of this revival, as it continues to advocate for education reform, equity, and innovation.

Newsletter

Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact

The Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
[email protected]

Follow us

Copyright (c) 2021 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.