Writing 6 Paragraph Essays to Perfection

This is an ongoing essay class which focuses on constructing and writing 6 paragraph essays, which includes an introduction, a conclusion and 4 main idea/details paragraphs. Students  need to be able to come to class with a topic, 4 main ideas, and 4 details about the main idea. The first class a student comes to, I will work with them on the process and evaluate where they need help or further instruction.  Students also need to have basic typing skills as we will me using google drive to work on the essays.

Students can stop or start at any time and it is not dependent on attending previous weeks. Students can message me if they need assistance.  I also will be available via Outschool message for any questions during the week. 

This class will meet 1 day per week, however each family can choose classes on more than one day if they want their student to have writing on more than one day. You can choose which ever sections fits your schedule.  Each student needs to use a google doc to type their essay, with a graphic organizer that will be on the document. The teacher will provide a google doc for each essay. 

Each essay will usually take 2 days,  (2 weeks) students in class may be working at a different pace, I work with each at the pace they are able to work at. Some may take longer, learning the process is more important than the pace. Once students know the process, they can work outside of class if they wish, and at that point parents can request students spend time outside the class working on their essays.

For each essay,  we will work on a graphic organizer with main ideas and details.   Students can get ideas from the teacher  if they are struggling. I will check with each student to see if they have this part of the process completed. Next we will take the graphic organizer and make paragraphs which include transition sentences. Once they have that done, they will read over them, making any edits.  We then add the introduction and conclusion. The teacher will  give feedback. If anyone is not able to finish during class, they can finish out side of class or continue working the next class. I will be able to see any changes and offer suggestions. 

It is suggested they pick something they really know a lot about. Students can follow home rules to find information they need. They need to know how to put it in their own words.  The class is about writing fluency, not teaching how to research. 

I have found, just like reading, the more a student practices, the easier it is and they are able to build more skills as they go. They do need to be able to type well enough to work on the google doc, but they do not have to be fast, it will just take them longer to complete. 

Although they do not have to do different essay styles, students will have access to 9 different styles of essays in the classroom. Once they demonstrate they understand the process for the descriptive, they can work on different types I can talk to them about the essay before and during the time they work on the essay. For those that have to do state testing, students can practice the essay type they will be tested on. 

I keep my class size low so students can get individual attention, and I  try to keep my classes affordable for parents. 

Each week will operate the same, and because the student will chose and bring the topic to class, there is no set weekly topic schedule.