ABSTRACT
James is sitting at the front of the English class. He is eager to please and the prospect of narrative writing-of the gothic variety-fills him with earnest glee. The task is set: write the opening of a gothic novel. The problem here has been played out in too many of my lessons to mention. James will not be happy with his feedback. He has bypassed the three crucial steps of planning, monitoring and evaluating his work, so his feedback will inevitably fall short of his expectations. Metacognition is essential because it can provide students with strategies to deploy their subject knowledge with confidence. Effectively, metacognition is a process of self-explanation. The planning phase sees students like James marshal their resources. The hard thinking doesn't stop amidst the act of writing either. James must then slow down and monitor his efforts.
