Once a week, when I was growing up, my mom and I would visit the public library where I checked out a stack of 13 books, no more no less. Always 13 books. I was an only child, so I learned quickly that I could have "friends" between the pages of a book. Plopped into the center of my blue crushed velvet beanbag chair, I would often read for hours. Books brought the world to me and enabled me to glimpse a slice of others' lives---often quite different from my own. While it may sound a bit oversimplified, I believe that books gave me empathy at an early age that I might not have gained until later into my life. 

Because I saw how authors spun words in a way that was unique to every author, I, too, began to believe I could be a writer. I wrote stories, plays, lyrics and music, and, perhaps my favorite genre to write, poetry. Nevertheless, it wasn't until I was in my fifties that I truly became a published author within periodicals for English language arts educators. These articles led to being asked to submit a chapter for a book about how literature intersects with sports, also for English language arts educators. Perhaps these weren't the types of writing I expected to be "known" for, but they exemplify the importance that both reading and writing have had for me throughout my life. Now that I am retired from teaching public school, I'm able to play with words in a different way, writing for myself and circling back to those genres of writing I loved as a child and a young adult.

Reading and Writing Workshop remains a favorite class of mine as I'm able to encourage and celebrate as the learners grow as readers and writers within the online classroom.

Learners in this class will become reflective, self-directed readers and writers. My style is one of encouragement emphasizing self-discovery through guiding questions and inquiry. In all of my classrooms, learner interaction is key. Respect for self and others will be paramount as learners share their ideas, their writing, and a bit of their hearts during my classes. 

Learners will experience group discussion, group and individual teacher feedback, and a myriad of ways to learn and enjoy English language arts. 

This class does not follow the tenets of a traditional English language arts class. Much like a one-room classroom of the past, though, the learning and teaching will be fluid and dynamic, reaching each learner at their "just right" spot in all of the aspects of an English language arts classroom. Nevertheless, your learner will experience a full curriculum of English language arts.

🅿🅰🆁🅴🅽🆃🆂 🅰🅽🅳 🆂🆃🆄🅳🅴🅽🆃🆂, 🅿🅻🅴🅰🆂🅴 🆁🅴🅰🅳 🆃🅷🅴 🅽🅾🆃🅴 🅱🅴🅻🅾🆆:
 I cannot reiterate this enough---I believe that each learner is an individual with their own amazing strengths as well as needs regarding certain areas of their learning. Therefore, in all of my classes, I will rearrange, replace, add to, delete planned material as it serves the learners in the class. While I've attempted to lay out a framework of four weeks, please know that I will use my educational expertise to make any necessary changes to benefit all students to the best of my ability.  

📓𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦:
 
Specific structure of 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀---

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀/𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀:

𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕗 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤
Week of September 4th---Heart-Mapping: Reading Territories/Writing Territories
Week of September 11th---Querencia: Exploring Your Personal Space Within Your Reading and Writing
Week September 18th---The Personal Narrative: Your Window to the World
Week of September 25th---Poetry: Your Window to the Heart

For parents who would like more explanation about this course---

Your learner will experience the following in many classes:

•	First day of each weekly class: Learners examine and discuss a portion of published writing paying particular attention to a topic chosen by the learners or determined by the teacher. For example, learners may realize that their sentence structure within their most current writing is monotonous and dull and wonder how they might spice it up. The teacher will pull a piece of published writing to model for the learners. The learners will practice what they have learned in the mini-lesson for a short amount of time. Then, learners may share out what they have accomplished with the other learners in the class. learners will be encouraged to keep an eye out for how the author of their current book they are reading. Learners will then be encouraged to spend time practicing this writing skill in their writers’ notebooks until class the following week. Learners will also be encouraged to be ready to share examples of how the author of the current book they are reading utilizes that particular writing skill in a published piece.

•	Second day of each weekly class: Learners will share out their discoveries regarding the highlighted skill from the past week in both their personal writing as well as the books they are reading. Learners may be encouraged to share a book commercial (a one-minute, informal encouragement of the book they’re currently reading so that others may place the title on their own “Book Mountains” to read.) The teacher may select a short piece of literature (ex. poem, news article, short story) in order to help illustrate a particular reading or writing skill/topic.

📓𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗥/𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
  
 •	The teacher will be available to the learners during the class time provided. 
•	Types of interaction: discussion, chat during class, limited feedback outside of class. Interaction is key to this course!
•	Learners will also have opportunities to communicate with both the teacher and other learners in between classes.
•      Parents may book a 25-minute one-on-one session if they determine their learner needs extra support during the week. 

📓𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪𝗟𝗘𝗗𝗚𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦:
 
•	Learners must be able to commit to reading their chosen book outside of this class.
•	Learners much be able to commit to writing in their Writers’ Notebooks outside of this class.

                                                       ✩░▒▓▆▅▃▂▁𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍▁▂▃▅▆▓▒░✩

I've listed this class as an "Ongoing Class." Please keep in mind that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. I welcome learners at any point from September 5th, 2023 through May 23rd, 2024. I simply ask that you reach out to me privately on Outschool so that we may schedule a private, short meeting for your learner and myself. During this private session, I will informally evaluate where your learner is in relation to English language arts. I will also share what the learner can expect in this class to help them feel comfortable in their very first actual class. This short session will help your learner experience a bit of my teaching style and personality to ensure the class is a great fit.  🙂

While my goal is to keep classes close to the scheduled amount of time, sometimes classes may go over or under a few minutes.

Classes will begin and end at the scheduled times, even if learners are late to the classroom or absent. I will attempt to quickly "catch up" a learner, but I will not stop class at length to do so.

If no learners are in the classroom, I will wait 10 minutes before exiting the classroom. As stated in Outschool’s policy, “If your learners have not joined the meeting 10 minutes after the start time, the meeting may be canceled, at the teacher’s discretion.  This is considered a missed meeting and you are not entitled to a refund.”

To ensure safety and security, ALL learners are required to turn their cameras on at the beginning of class so I can check identity. Because this class is centered around discussion throughout the entire time together, a working microphone is critical. I also encourage learners to leave their cameras on during class (except for those brief moments to sneeze, cough, or other activities you'd prefer not to share on screen.🙃 ) So much is communicated through our facial expressions---seeing each other when talking about the books helps to encourage participation. This also helps ensure security and safety. I do understand there may be extenuating circumstances regarding the camera. Please simply reach out to me prior to enrolling. 

**All students may be muted upon entering the classroom to prevent background noise and distractions. 

**Outschool has recently changed its policy regarding class cancellations. I know how disappointing canceled classes can be for learners. In the past I've waited for late enrollees. Unfortunately, I can no longer do that, particularly with this type of class (Teen Readers' Book Club.) 

Going forward, I plan to check class enrollment for ongoing classes on Sunday at 5pm Central. I will push the class back a week should enrollment fall below 3 students. If other sections are available, learners will have the option to transfer to another class. Full refunds will be provided for learners who cannot attend the newly-scheduled class time. All other refunds will be provided as per the Outschool Limited Refund policy. If for any reason the class does not meet your expectation, you have the confidence of knowing that Outschool has a Happiness Guarantee and will provide a refund upon request via their Customer Support. 

Transfer requests within 24 hours of a scheduled class will NOT be approved.  By that time, it is too late to reschedule the class. Doing so is also unfair to other families who may have enrolled thinking there were multiple learners enrolled. Instead, I will  encourage these learners to watch the video of the class.

**For multiple learners from your household, Outschool’s policy states, “Parents are welcome to enroll two or more learners in the same section of a class provided that the class has enough spaces. You will need to enroll each learner separately for the section, but learners are welcome to share a device if that would make it easier to attend class.”