Kindly note:
This is an ESL friendly class, CEFR  level — C1, C2 (Advanced)
Please feel free to write me via Outschool email with questions.
***
WRITE TO THE TOP!

Each of us has our own strong opinions. Each of us has our own singular voice. What we need is what all writers need: the precise skills and the hard won confidence to communicate via the written word clearly and coherently, to write with passion, persuasion and power.  The Elegant Essay is the first in a series of classes to introduce learners to all forms of the essay to give every learner the opportunity to become the writer they are meant to be, to in fact "write to the top."  In this 8-week class, one session per week, we will master both the descriptive and the narrative essay forms. 

The Elegant Essay is limited to 6 learners to maximize attention that each learner receives in the classroom. Classes will involve both lecture and interactive student response to illustrative descriptive and narrative essays.  Outside assignments will be given so each learner will also receive personal attention to their specific writing needs.  Detailed responses to written assignments will be sent individually to learners after each session. 

The Elegant Essay classes have been created as a companion to my own Spar Lit Sr: Understanding Great Essays Through Speech and Debate Techniques. It is not necessary to take Spar Lit Sr prior to The Elegant Essay.

The essay is the  backbone of all persuasive writing — from the elementary school  book report to the college essay to the flap copy on published books. This is the  essential core skill of superb communication, one of the key building blocks of ongoing success. 

Learning to think and write well through the crafting of the essay  is the cornerstone as one moves through middle school, high school and college— for Speech and Debate,  for job interviews, and for the workplace.

The Elegant Essay will teach each learner not just how to write well for a single essay, but how to write well for a lifetime.  Once learned, this essential skill belongs to the learner for always. 

Moreover, I will show learners how to tap into and expand on the inner spark that belongs to each and every writer, to transform writing beyond the merely competent into the memorable and never to be forgotten.

It time to learn to delight, to surprise, to persuade, and above all to communicate. It’s time for every writer to become the writer they are meant to be. In short,  It is time to write. 

This class will do the following:

We will examine the links between reading well and writing well, work with both reading and writing exercises to maximize comfort and skill level. There will be writing assignments both long and short all of which will work towards the weekly goal of crafting essays of style and elegance.

Students will read a minimum of two essays per week which we will analyze together in class. Students will also write a complete essay per week and receive immediate personalized feedback on their work sent to them individually,

Classes will focus on discussion and analysis of assigned essays: student work will be assessed via personal communication between teacher and student only. 

 In addition we will cover:

--Strategies for Reading
--Responding to What You Read
--Considering One's Purpose and Audience
--How to Come Up With A Subject and Brainstorm Effectively
--How to Draft
--How To Revise With Skill
--How to Edit and Proofread
--How to Write Cogent and Clear Paragraphs
--How to Give Your Own Writing Your Own Individual Style

Possible essays for use in this class include: 

Holy the Firm by Annie Dillard, How I Wrote the Moth Essay--and Why by Annie Dillard, 
The Miss Dennis School of Writing by Alice Steinbach, 
Joyas Voladoras by Brian Doyle
Once More to the Lake by E.B. White, 
Bracken County, Northern Kentucky by Grace Welte,
 In Case You Ever Want to Go Home Again by Barbara Kingsolver, 
Orange Crush by Yiyuan Li,
The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry.  
Nobel Acceptance Speech by Toni Morrison

Assignments will include:

--vocabulary exercises
--grammar exercises
--creative writing exercises
--essay writing assignments with prompts
***
Syllabus
Materials sent prior to class #1
Please have these essays read prior to class #1
Good Readers and Good Writers by Vladimir Nabokov
Holy the Firm (also known as The Death of a Moth) by Annie Dillard

Week 1: The Descriptive Essay
Class 1—Strategies for Reading and Responding to What You Read
In class essay to consider: Holy the Firm (also known as Death of a Moth) by Annie Dillard
Homework: Annie Dillard Descriptive assignment (due by Class #2); Sentence Composing for College, essay to read for class #2: The Miss Dennis School of Writing by Alice Steinbach

Class 2--Considering One's Purpose and Audience
In class essay to consider: The Miss Dennis School of Writing by Alice Steinbach
Homework: Sentence Composing for College, essay to read for class #3: Joyas Voladoras by Brian Doyle
At home essay to write due before class #3, Profile of Teacher inspired by Steinbach

 Week 2: The Descriptive Essay Continued
Class 3--How to Come Up With A Subject and Brainstorm Effectively
In class essay to consider: Joyas Voladoras by Brian Doyle Homework: Imitative Writing Assignment (due by Class #4) Sentence Composing for College, essay to read for class #4 Bracken County, Northern Kentucky by Grace Welte

Class 4—Organizing and Drafting
In class essay to consider: Bracken County, Northern Kentucky by Grace Welte
Homework: essay to read for class #5: In Case You Ever Want to Go Home Again by Barbara Kingsolver, At home essay to write after class 4, due before class #5, Descriptive Essay inspired by Joyas Voladoras by Brian Doyle, grammar assignment

Week 3: The Narrative Essay
Class 5—How To Revise With Skill
In class essay to consider: In Case You Ever Want to Go Home Again by Barbara Kingsolver
homework: Essay to read for class #6: Orange Crush by Yiyuan Li, Mini-Narrative writing assignment due before class #6.

Class 6--How to Edit and Proofread
In class essay to consider: Orange Crush by Yiyuan Li
Homework: essay to read for class #7: The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry, At home essay to write due before class #7, Coming of Age Narrative essay inspired by Orange Crush by Yiyuan Li., Glossary Terms assignment.

Week 4: The Narrative Essay Continued
Class 7: How to Write Cogent and Clear Paragraphs
In class essay to consider: The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry. Homework: Essay to read before class #8: Toni Morrison’s Nobel Acceptance Speech. At home essay to write due before class #8, Narrative essay inspired by The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry, SAT Word List.

Class 8: How to Develop Your Own Individual Writing Style
In class essay to consider: Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech. At home work: 40 Great Essays, Suggested AP reading lists. Essays on Writing
###