A few hands went up. Sam pointed to Eve Miller in the front row.
‘It’s, like, convincing someone to agree with you,’ she said.
‘Spot on.’ Sam nodded. ‘Persuasive writing is all about convincing your reader to see things your way. It’s like being a lawyer in court – you’re making a case and presenting evidence to back it up.’
He crossed his arms and started pacing slowly in front of the class.
‘Now, it’s not just saying, “I think we should have a three-day school week because it would be fun”. You need to give me real reasons. Why would it benefit everyone? What problems would it solve? And most importantly, how can you make me – the stubborn MSP that deals with education – agree with you?’
Tommy Craig raised his hand, and Sam dithered about whether it was worth asking, because Tommy liked being the class clown. And this was a weird, almost limbo-like time of year. All the pupils moved into their class for the next year now the exams were finished. There were no first years – except during the induction week – and the school always felt a little bare. Sam missed his sixth years, who’d now left, and it would take a while for the new contingent to make their mark.
‘Go on, Tommy.’ Sam relented.
‘What if the MSP that deals with education is only stubbornbecauseit’s a five-day week? Wouldn’t that make it easier to convince them?’
Sam held out his hands. ‘You could certainly use it to your advantage. Play to your audience. If you know a five-day week is the cause of my stubbornness, use that in your argument. But’ – he held up a finger – ‘you’ve got to back it up with facts. For example, “Studies show that shorter weeks improve student focus and teacher wellbeing” sounds better than just “we’ll all have more time to play on our Xbox,” doesn’t it?’
A few kids chuckled, and some scribbled notes.
‘So, here’s the task,’ Sam continued. ‘I want you to write a letter to an imaginary MSP persuading them to adopt a three-day school week. You can make up a name if you want, or I’ll write some on the smart board that you can use. Think about your argument. You’ll need a strong introduction to grab their attention, three main points to make your case, and a great conclusion to leave a lasting impression. Remember, a littleemotional appeal – something heartfelt – can work wonders, but it has to feel genuine.’
‘Can we make up studies?’ Tommy asked again, his hand half-raised.
‘For this exercise, yes. But if this was a real situation, you would want to fact check and state references. We haven’t fully covered that yet though, so we’ll focus on the persuasive part. That’s what I’m looking for. Your arguments as to why a three-day week would be beneficial in schools. Now, you’ve got twenty minutes to brainstorm your main points and start drafting your introductions. If you need help, wave me over.’
The class got to work, the room settling into a productive hum, and Sam scanned around, checking they were focused and not gossiping.
‘Mr Addison?’ Tommy piped up.
Sam glanced over, raising an eyebrow. ‘Yes, Tommy? Do you need help with something?’
‘Um, no.’ He glanced sideways. ‘Is it true you’re dating Miss Morgan?’
The room erupted in a chorus of low chatter and muffled giggles. A few heads swivelled and looked at other people. Sam’s cheeks felt a little warm, but he kept his expression neutral.
‘Ok, let’s focus,’ he said firmly, and he gave Tommy a no-more-questions look.
Tommy was, however, undeterred. ‘So… is that a yes?’
‘It’s a get back to your work before your persuasive writing is about convincing me why you shouldn’t be kept in detention every break for the rest of the week,’ Sam said, earning a ripple of laughter from the rest of the class.
Tommy chuckled, and the distraction settled, though a few knowing smirks lingered. Sam scanned the room again, and Isabella Denby, seated near the window, caught his eye for a moment before leaning over her work.
Making his way over, he crouched by her desk and lowered his voice. ‘Are you ok?’
She looked up, then gave a shy smile. ‘I’m ok, yeah. Just… taking my time.’
Sam nodded. ‘Good. That’s absolutely fine. And sensible.’
Her gaze flickered to her paper before returning to his, her cheeks colouring. ‘Um, Mr Addison?’
‘Yes?’
‘Congratulations,’ she mumbled, ducking her head slightly.
Sam blinked. ‘For…?’
She glanced at him and gave a half shrug. ‘If it’s true about you and Miss Morgan. You’re… um… two of my favourite teachers, so… I think it’s nice.’
