This class is taught in English.

■ English I & II: 

Functional Texts, Expository Texts, Persuasive Texts, Literary Nonfiction, Fiction, and Essay Writing.

■ Social Studies: 

Government, Civics, US History: Revolutionary War through the Depression, US History: World War II through Modern Times, World History and Political Systems, Economic Foundations, Economic Events in History, Economics in the Twenty-First Century, Geography and People.

I hold dual Bachelor's degrees in Social Sciences with a focus on Education and Criminal Justice, complemented by a Master's degree in Education with an emphasis on Curriculum Specialization, as well as a Doctorate in Philosophy.

With over 11 years of teaching experience, I have effectively instructed high school students from grades 9 to 12, fostering their academic growth in an online setting through platforms such as Skype and asynchronous messaging on discussion boards. I have provided comprehensive education covering subjects such as English, Language Arts, Writing, Sciences, Social Studies, Mathematics, and various elective courses. During this time, my students consistently achieved above-average grades and developed a genuine enthusiasm for learning. Importantly, all of my students have successfully met the educational requirements outlined in their respective states, enabling them to advance to college. My passion lies in guiding students to achieve their full potential, encouraging them to delve deep into subjects and think critically, thereby setting them on a path towards successful adulthood.

My teaching methodology encompasses a spectrum of educational theories, including constructivism, humanism, realism, and idealism. Moreover, I integrate brain-based learning techniques, ensuring that my pedagogical approach is grounded in evidence-based practices. This innovative teaching style has been rigorously researched, supported by statistical data, and proven effective not only in traditional brick-and-mortar schools but also in the context of virtual education. This progressive teaching philosophy is rooted in my academic training, acquired during my master's and doctoral programs in higher education.

I believe in customizing instruction to suit each student's unique abilities and requirements. My approach is characterized by kindness, adaptability, friendliness, compassion, understanding, and flexibility. I employ the "flipped classroom" model, in which students engage with assignments before the live sessions. In these live meetings, students transition into the role of teachers, sharing their new discoveries, intriguing findings, and significant insights. I actively participate in these discussions, supplementing their contributions with additional valuable information. This collective learning experience aligns with the principles of the "open classroom" model, in which we collaboratively pursue the shared goal of learning and enjoying the educational process. Together, we analyze and draw conclusions from the assignments and prepare for the upcoming week, including guidance and assignments to be completed in the form of the next chapter in each subject.

As contemporary educators, we recognize the limitations of lengthy lectures in live meetings, a more traditional approach to teaching. Instead, we engage with our students through dialogues and interactive discussions. This interaction is more effective as students absorb information and feel a greater sense of involvement. We are trained to assume the roles of coaches, guides, and mentors to our students, addressing their individual needs while fostering a sense of community in the class. I often guide our discussions by posing specific questions to students, encouraging them to share their newfound knowledge, and ensuring that the timing of these discussions maximizes their educational impact. The questions I ask are carefully chosen to transform moments into valuable learning opportunities.

The semester's curriculum, encompassing two subjects, is designed to be advanced and accelerated. Students will be required to practice effective time management and maintain a high level of motivation. Beyond conveying subject matter through traditional homework assignments, projects, videos, and live meeting discussions, my educational approach extends to teaching students how to learn. When students pose questions, I may task them with online research to uncover answers. I guide them towards reliable online resources to find solutions. A similar process may be applied when reviewing student homework, where I pose additional questions that require supplemental online research beyond the textbook. Through this pedagogical method, I aim to enhance students' capacity and desire to learn, equipping them with essential skills for lifelong learning. My goal is to empower them to take control of their education, a significant and valuable skill if leveraged correctly.

Homework Offered
🕔 If a student must miss a live video meeting or needs to turn in homework later due to illness, family situations, or other circumstances, I completely understand. I kindly request that the parent sends me a direct private message at least 2 hours before the live online class, if possible. I can still post their homework for the day(s) they miss. It's important to note that, as per Outschool's policy, there are no refunds for a student missing a live meeting. If the student doesn't join within 10 minutes of the live meeting, the meeting will be canceled for that day. Unfortunately, I don't conduct makeup sessions for missed live meetings, but I'll continue to assign homework in the Outschool classroom for them to complete by the due date. Given the nature of homeschooling, there will be a substantial amount of homework, and parents should be actively involved.

🧑‍🏫 Students will receive instruction, guidance, coaching, learning, and homework assignments from me through live online sessions. I'll also post weekly guidance and homework assignments in the Outschool Classroom. Full participation in the live video meetings and the Outschool Classroom is crucial for effective learning.

⏩ This is an accelerated semester class. Students will work independently from me most of the time, engaging with the textbook, crafting essays, creating videos or other projects, and completing lesson reviews for both subjects. ✨ Heavy parent involvement is absolutely necessary to help students manage their homeschool schedule for homework and to provide support to their teen. ✨

🎒 Weekly Assignment Homework:

Although I'm available seven days a week via private message to assist your teen with questions, provide additional guidance, coaching, and more, parent help and involvement are not just allowed but required because this is homeschooling, and most state laws hold parents legally responsible. Parents will need to assist their teen in planning their schedules to complete homework on time, help them with their assignments, and ensure all homework is completed each week. Homework includes the following:

All Homework and Reviews are OPEN BOOK.

1. We cover one full chapter per week in both subjects. Each chapter contains 3 to 7 lessons, and students must complete a lesson review for every lesson. The lesson reviews include vocabulary words, skill practice, skill review, and sometimes writing practice, typically featuring 8 to 15 questions per lesson. Students can write their answers on notebook paper, in a Word document, or they can print out the lesson reviews from the PDF of the textbook that I provide. Students will read their answers during our next live meeting, and these assignments are due within one week. This applies to both subjects, and these assignments are graded. However, if there are issues with this method, some lessons can be turned into projects (see #3 below).

2. The Chapter Review at the end of each chapter must also be completed, either by writing answers on notebook paper, a Word document, or a printout of the material from the PDF textbook. Your teen will read off their answers in the next live meeting, which means this is due in one week. This is open book and graded.

3. Most weeks, but not all, your teen will be assigned a project. This might involve writing an essay, a short story, or a poem (on a Word document), creating a video slideshow (via Canva or Adobe Express), or a digital photo collage. This allows for creativity and fun. Only Canva or Adobe Express may be used for video slideshows. Both programs are free. Google Docs and Google Slides are not permitted. You can find free document programs such as Open Office, Libre, and more via an internet search. This work is graded. Please refer to the Supply List section for more information.

After reviewing your teen's homework answers verbally, we will engage in in-depth discussions about the chapters studied. I'll pose questions to your teen, and they can reciprocate. This approach greatly helps in fully absorbing new knowledge, connecting it with prior knowledge, ensuring comprehension, and fostering analysis. We will then introduce the next chapter, the new homework, and, if time allows, I'll initiate the first lesson with them.

One of my teaching philosophies is to teach students how to learn. In many assignments, students may be asked to answer extra questions based on their initial responses, requiring them to conduct research on the internet and share their findings.

During the final week, a comprehensive semester exam will be administered for both subjects. This exam will account for 20% of your teen's final grade, but it's important to note that the exams are open book. The exam can be tailored to your teen's preferred method of learning and demonstrating their knowledge. The purpose of this exam is to gauge their ability to comprehend, analyze, infer, discuss, and make informed conclusions about the material.
4+ hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
🗃️ Your teen will have their lesson reviews, chapter reviews, slideshow projects, and writing assignments graded each week for each subject.
Grades Offered
🗃️ I send grades for this class every week through private messaging to parents, along with comments, to facilitate parental monitoring of their student's progress. I highly value and appreciate weekly feedback from parents. At the very least, parents should acknowledge the receipt of the grades I send. Parents and students can reach out to me at any time through direct messaging, and I'll respond the same day or, if not, by the next morning, seven days a week, except on holidays.

🎓 I award 2 full-year high school credits for English and 2 full-year high school credits for Social Studies, as well as an overall grade for both subjects at the end of the class. Four certificates of completion will be sent to the parent via private message (2 certificates for each subject, each showing 1 credit). Depending on your homeschool laws or charter school requirements, you can use this class as 4 year-long credits, as the class is accelerated and packed with educational content. The overall grade is based on the following criteria:

1. The level of participation in discussions during weekly lesson reviews, chapter reviews, discussions of the chapters read, bonus projects, and essays in the live meetings.

2. The number of correct answers on their lesson reviews and chapter reviews while taking into account their individual learning abilities and needs.

3. The degree of participation and thoroughness in their work and research on projects and essays (if assigned).

4. A final semester exam, accounting for 20% of your teen's final grade, will be administered for both subjects during the final week. These exams are open book and can be adapted to your teen's preferred learning and demonstration method. The purpose of the exam is to assess their ability to comprehend, analyze, infer, discuss, and arrive at informed conclusions about the material.

The certificate of completion will include the student's first name, "Outschool," the course name, the course end date, my full name and title as the Outschool teacher, and a final letter grade ranging from A to D-. It's important to note that I do not fail any students, as I believe that regardless of their level of involvement, they have learned something from the class.

A = Excellent
B = Great
C = Satisfactory
D = Needs Improvement

📁 For your homeschool portfolio teacher evaluation in your state, I highly recommend keeping PDFs of the textbooks to demonstrate all the subjects learned from each textbook and your student's graded work from me. These are crucial items to retain, including their written textbook material in Word documents, videos, projects from the Outschool classroom, and all saved assignments on your student's computer, in addition to the saved PDFs of the textbooks themselves. I strongly advise your teen to save everything to a Flash or Zip drive rather than their computer, as I won't be able to send you any of the material once the class is over.

🫴 I support unique learning needs by incorporating various teaching methods, offer flexible assignments, flexible due dates, additional resources, & fostering an inclusive environment. I also communicate regularly with students & parents.

All sources are independently scholarly peer-reviewed, based on truth and facts, highly researched by the teacher for truthful evidence, secular, and unbiased. This especially includes the GED textbooks. The textbooks from McGraw-Hill are from the revamped and more challenging Adult Basic Education classes for the GED along with other sources.