Breaking out of boxes, or why the five paragraph essay is undermining quality writing

In Swenson et. al. we encounter several instances of criticism towards the traditional structure of essay writing--the "beloved" 5 paragraph essay.

"In an era of growing concern about student writing scores on standardized tests, we are also seeing large numbers of teachers and schools revert from more progressive pedagogies to reductionistic approaches that suggest that students need to master only a few steps to become successful writers."

I remember in high school being told by some of the not-so-engaging teachers that we should make our essays in a specific format and that if for some reason we decided to write in a more "progressive" way, they would actually deduct points.  This mostly stemmed from there lack of effort in grading and their desire to standardize their work (at least, that's my theory).

". . . formulaic conceptions of writing, instruction, and texts encourage students not to think critically . . . even as they reinforce the positivist impression that Truth can be known and communicated if writers only train . . . in a clear, linear, and orderly fashion."

Again, I remember instance where I felt limited by the supposedly "correct" structure of how writing "should" be.  Even at the college level I struggled with this. In Intro. to Ed. we were forced under strict guidelines of APA formatting.  My writing was unimaginative and robotic at times.  Even in College Writing II, I felt that my creativity and skills were being held back by the need to fit what "proper" writing is supposed to look like.

I propose that we, as future teachers, teach the traditional ways but also encourage other means of expression. We need to keep the past traditions in mind while incorporating new possibilities for the kids to try.  As long as they effectively convey their point, I think they should be encouraged to do so in a variety of ways.