Academic Writing Essentials: How to Write Essays & Research Papers With Mastery

🗓️ Looking for more schedule options? Check out our shorter version of this course: https://outschool.com/classes/academic-writing-essentials-essays-research-papers-critical-analysis-nPy9NVPG

➡️ Still need help with writing paragraphs? Join Paragraph Writing Essentials: https://bit.ly/paragraphwritingessentials

➡️ Still struggling with writing essays? Join Essay Writing Essentials to master them with confidence: https://bit.ly/essaywritingessentials
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Academic Writing Essentials equips students who have a basic understanding of essays to write them in a number of essay genres and also write academic research papers. 

This is the perfect class for those who have already taken my Essay Writing Essentials class or anyone who has written essays before and is looking how to excel in middle, high school, and even college writing.

Students will find the class directly applicable to their middle school and high school writing assignments. This is a great class for students who are either highly creative or reluctant writers (or both!). 

If students stay for multiple weeks, they will walk away with tried and true writing techniques that I have taught to the high schoolers in my brick and mortar classrooms for years. If students stick around, they will be writing excellent high school level essays and research papers. 

This class is relaxed and very accessible. We will cover a variety of essays (literary, persuasive, and personal), as well as in depth lessons in the research process. We will also dabble in some creative nonfiction.

***Students should already know how to write a simple five-paragraph essay before joining this class. If they are not familiar with the essay writing process, they should check out my other Essay writing class: https://outschool.com/classes/essay-writing-essentials-ongoing-academic-writing-class-Irx60p5h#usCikmsyzL ***

Every week, I teach a certain writing strategy and students have time to write from scratch, revise their writing, or add on to it, using the day's strategy. Students should be ready to share their writing, in small groups or with the class. I create a relaxed, encouraging, and affirming class to help students feel comfortable sharing. Students should have access to Google Docs and I will sometimes ask students to share their screen to receive feedback on their writing.

In-class assignments are given every week. Students write only in class. There is no homework (except for students who need extra time to write or get behind). We know students have busy lives and we have structured this class to consist only of high-value, high-impact in-class teaching and writing assignments. Feedback is given verbally and/or written to students in class and in their Google docs each week.

We welcome late enrollments through week 5. If you see a spot available, it means, you're welcome to join us and will do just fine as long as your child knows all the preceding skills and feels prepared.

YOUR INSTRUCTORS:

📝 DERRICK HEISEY, Writer and Teacher: Since 2015, Derrick has taught every grade level from Kindergarten to 12th. He is a licensed Special Education teacher with a degree in English Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico and a minor in Philosophy. He's published short stories and poetry, and produces a podcast where he reads his original fiction. According to him, mastering the written word is one of the most empowering journeys a person can pursue, and nothing brings him as much joy as sharing that passion with students. Everyone has something important to say; they just need to find the right words, and Derrick can’t wait to help his students discover their voices. When he isn’t teaching, you can find him in his garden inspecting tomatoes, scribbling in a notebook, or reading a book with his dachshund Charlie Marlow curled up on his lap.

📖 MICHELLE BOWEN, Literacy and Storytelling Specialist:
Michelle is a passionate and dedicated teacher who has made her home in teaching middle and high school ELA and literature courses. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of San Diego and her Master’s in Liberal Studies: Ethics, Science, and Culture from Arizona State University. With a knack for teaching argumentation and close reading, she helps her students develop their analytical skills while fostering a love for literature. Her teaching philosophy is best summed up by quote from *On Writing* by Stephen King: “Just remember that Dumbo didn’t need the feather; the magic was in him.” She believes every student has the ability to grow into a confident reader, writer, and thinker-they just need the right support to realize it. When she’s not in the classroom, Michelle can usually be found at a film festival discussing the finer points of horror and sci-fi films or hiking the California coast.