Students will learn about the structure of an essay, outlining, researching, writing good sentences and paragraphs, grammar, punctuation, and editing. They will also gain confidence in their own ability to write and share their work with others (which is always optional).

I love working with kids! I have 15 years of teaching experience, and I have taught in both traditional school settings and as a homeschool parent. I am passionate about helping kids at all levels of their reading and writing journey. It's so exciting when I see a student gain confidence as a reader/writer or when I can help a young aspiring writer achieve their dreams.

My writing experience includes writing copy for marketing materials, ghost writing for corporate executives, technical writing, writing newspaper articles, and writing instructions for digital technology applications. Managing a corporate internal newsletter was one of my favorite projects. I created the newsletter design, interviewed and wrote articles about team members, and managed the editing and submission process for all the contributors. As a hobby, I love to write short stories, poetry, and songs. I can't imagine my life without writing.

My education includes a Master of Science in Technical and Professional Communication (MSTPC) and a BA in Communications. Because I have completed 2 years of my BA and all of my MS classes online, I am skilled with the various aspects of online learning. I love using what I have learned to help kids become better at reading and writing.

Homework Offered
Each week, students will have an essay to write. Some weeks there will be more homework than others, depending on the type of essay we are working on. For example, the week we do an expository essay, students will need to do some research on a topic, so this might take them a littler longer than essays where no research is needed. There will be a short (about 15-minute) grammar lesson on the third day of the week. There may be a small amount of homework from this if kids don't finish in class. This lesson is designed to be short and with minimal homework (up to 15-minutes of homework).
1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
After students turn their essay in to me, I will send them written feedback that includes what they did well and any suggestions I have for improvement or other classes that might benefit them.
Grades Offered

Class is designed to work well for all kids, including those with unique learning needs. 

Students should be able to read and write English at a 5th grade level or higher to be successful in this class.

Students will need to do some research on certain weeks, so they'll need to find resources to support their topic. During some weeks there will be worksheets and these will be posted in Outschool prior to the start of class.