Students will love writing in this class! Talking and writing about cats peaks the interest of many students so writing about cats makes learners feel comfortable and confident about the subject right from the beginning of class. This one-time class invites students to write about 'Cats in Spooky Trees.'

I have combined my nearly 20 years of teaching experience in a classroom with my passion for writing and love of cats to design this engaging class format that helps students develop descriptive writing skills and ultimately a love of writing.

Benefits of this class:
-Develop students' creative writing skills and foster a love for writing
-Teach students about different types of literary devices (figurative language) to create strong writing
-Review/Teach students about point of view and maintaining a consistent tense in writing
-Improve students' written expression (specifically work on clarity of expression)
-Encourage students to think carefully about word choice 
-Develop students' understanding of the writing process
-Provide a place for students to talk about cats and be social

The agenda for this class is:

1. Greetings and introductions.

2. Figurative language mini-lesson. Students will learn/review imagery and onomatopoeia and work together to create examples. Students will aim to include this type of figurative language in their writing exercises.

3. Find the Best Descriptors Activity. Students will work with the teacher (and together) to create a list of descriptive words for 'spooky trees.' (Word lists will describe elements of the image such as colours, sounds and textures.) This will help learners understand the importance of strong/unique word choice.  

4. The Description Challenge. Students will use their word lists from the previous activity to write about 'spooky trees' in sentences within an assigned time. Students will focus on creating short, clear and powerful sentences that capture a reader's attention. Students can share part or all of their writing at the end of the challenge. 

5. Final Writing Exercise. Students will be given a number of images of 'Cats in Spooky Trees' to choose from to describe for their final writing piece. Students will be guided by the teacher to create a list of ideas to include in their writing and then decide what point of view and tense to use in their writing. Then students will be given time to write their ideas into sentences. 

6. Sharing. Students are encouraged to share their writing - one sentence or their entire final exercise. This is meant to celebrate students' success and offer some teacher feedback.

I am a very positive and encouraging teacher, and I use a variety of methods that appeal to both visual and linguistic learners. This class will use many approaches for learning, including discussion, slides and images. Students will receive lots of verbal feedback, and there are many opportunities for students to participate throughout the class. I love talking about cats and watching students achieve success in their writing.

Students do not need to have any prior knowledge about cats. Students taking this class are strongly encouraged to have their cameras on as it develops students' intrapersonal skills and I can more effectively teach and respond to students' non-verbal cues. Students will need lined paper and a pen or pencil. As well, if students choose to type the final writing activity, they will need a device to do so.

You are welcome to request another time or day for this class and/or you may request a private one-on-one class.