1-on-1 Tutoring. Easing into Essay Writing. Weekly Writing Warm Ups and Practice

Good writers first make a lot of warm-up attempts the same way an athlete misses shots but keeps practicing or a pianist hits wrong notes but keeps playing scales. No one expects a beginning musician to play a song perfectly on the first try, and no one expects a writer to write perfectly without lots of practice.
For this reason, I have designed this class much like a dance class or music lesson. Learners will feel like they are simply practicing each step. The class will be broken down into very manageable chunks, so students don't feel overwhelmed. If an essay is a song - we need to learn to play the notes first. 
     The first few classes will be devoted to "warming up to writing".  Athletes learn to bat or tackle before playing in big games. Dancers learn steps and limber up before going on stage. And in this class writers will learn to write good paragraphs, develop a thesis, and write introductions and conclusions before attempting their first essay. 
     The class is designed for the learner to write a complete essay after seven weeks. The one-on-one nature allows for extra practice in any area, if needed. Students are also welcome to practice between classes and submit work to me for comments and revision. Students can stay on for as many essays as they like. They will benefit from practicing the system more than once, so they can implement it on their own in the future. 

Components of the the class include: Warm up paragraphs, brainstorming ideas using free writing and webs, reading aloud for clearer writing, implementing feedback, developing a thesis, crafting introductions and conclusions, and, finally, putting it all together. 

Writing warm-up paragraphs
Reading aloud for improvement Generating ideas (pre-writing strategies)
Developing a strong thesis
Introductions
Conclusions
Putting it all together

This cycle will repeat with a different essay topic and more in-depth exploration of each component.