1. State your complaint with respect A. Dear Students, Listen up you lazy no good for nothings I know you don’t care about your grade. B. Dear Students, My complaint is directed towards students that don't seem to care about their grade in my class. Dear Students, I am concerned that some of you are struggling in my class this year and I want to help you succeed.

Create an ethical appeal by stating your values (what is important to you) I became a teacher because I believe in the importance of education. I could work at other jobs that pay more money and that would probably be less stressful at times but I choose to work here because I know that having an education can make a difference in your life. I grew up poor and worked my way through school going to a junior college first and then to CSU Long Beach not because of grades but because of finances. I know that the things I now have in my life are because of my education.

Support your ideas with appeals to logic (facts/common sense/evidence) and emotional appeals (as appropriate) THIS WILL BE THE MAJORITY OF YOUR ESSAY. THE MORE EVIDENCE/PROOF YOU CAN PRESENT FOR YOUR ARGUMENT THE EASIER IT WILL BE TO PERSUADE. BE SURE TO GIVE CREDIT TO ALL SOURCES USED (FOLLOW MLA FORMAT). TRY TAKING ABSTRACT IDEAS AND COMPARING THEM TO CONCRETE THINGS LIKE EDWARDS DID – TRY USING PARALLEL STRUCTURE TO EMPHASIZE IDEAS AND CREATE RHYTHM – TRY USING ALLUSIONS OR RHETORICAL QUESTIONS

It is important that you pass my class to get your English 3 credits and graduate high school. The ability to speak well, write well, read well, and think critically are skills that will last you a lifetime no matter what your future may hold. Did you know that according to Change, a high school dropout will earn $400 thousand to $500 thousand dollars less than a student who does graduate over the course of a lifetime? It is much harder for high school dropouts to find a job than it is for students who graduate and go on to college, and there are many financial and health risks associated with living in poverty. Students who drop out of high school have a harder time finding a well-paying job or a job that offers good benefits, such as healthcare. This puts individuals at higher risk of expensive medical bills if they are sick, injured or become pregnant.

Medical costs are higher without insurance, and low-paying jobs do not always afford enough money to pay for coverage. Individuals who drop out of high school are more likely to become involved in criminal activities and spend time in jail ("High School Dropouts"). This can compound the difficulty of finding a job, which can send an individual even further into poverty, making it more likely that he will commit another crime. According to the Alliance for Excellent Education’s 2009 Graduation Fact Sheet, increasing the number of male students who graduate and go on to college by five percent could lead to billions of savings each year in crime and jail-related costs.

ADDRESS THE COUNTERARGUMENT I know that many students complain that this class isn't fun, "it's boring." While it is not my intention to bore you it is a truth in life that not all worthwhile things are fun. For example, you take medicine not because it is fun or tastes good but because it will make you better - in many ways the same is true for education. How much fun will you have when you can't afford to pay rent, buy a car, go to the movies or go out on a date? Some students may say that the work is too hard and they don't understand what to do. I say that that is why I am here, to help make the hard things easier for you to understand, BUT you have to be willing to ask for help because as much as I would like to I don't read minds. Some students say that they would rather do the work in Summer School, but as long as you are here everyday why not do the work and then actually enjoy a real summer vacation? Besides with all of the budget cuts summer school is no longer available the way it used to be.

STATE WHAT WILL CHANGE IF YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT – CREATE A CALL TO ACTION If all my students did their best work in my class you would all get your English 3 credits and be on your way to graduating from high school. But even more importantly you will have learned reading, writing, speaking, and thinking skills that you can take and apply to any future you can envision for yourself. I say step up and do the work you can do and create the best possible future for yourself.