Essay writing is an essential skill for all students. This ongoing course is designed to help learners develop basic writing skills and write a wide variety of essays. We cover the major essay types, as well rhetoric and how to build strong arguments. 

My goal is to ensure learners develop skills that go above and beyond their current grade level. I ensure this by taking a personal approach, building lessons week-by-week so they are tailored to the unique needs of the class. 

Whether they want to build new skills or need additional practice, this course will help your learner master essay writing in all its forms. 

Each unit is four weeks long and covers a different topic at length. We will learn about several essay types, grammar, audience, purpose, essay structure, strong arguments and much more. Learners will be instructed to write, revise and share what they write.

Classes will also include discussion, peer review and feedback from the teacher on their work. There will also be opportunities to read out loud. The goal of this class is to engage learners in topics they’re excited about, and then use those topics to approach essay writing.

The structure of class will be similar each week. We will start with a warm up question, and then dive into a mini lecture with a follow-up discussion. From there, we will read and analyze sample essays from students and teachers. Classes may also include quizzes, games, worksheets and more. Each class will use a variety of teaching methods to engage every type of learner. 

Every class will end with an essay writing task. The goal of the weekly writing task is to give learners consistent writing practice and get them familiar with writing standards. There will be time to write during class, but learners may have to finish their assignments outside of class. Learners can share their completed work with me for detailed feedback and advice on next steps. 

You may notice some units repeat themselves. Even if the topic repeats, the writing assignments and activities will be different. Essentially, we will approach the same topic in a whole new way. This is so learners can join at any point and still learn crucial skills. It also gives learners an opportunity to review certain topics.

If you have any questions about the content level, please don’t hesitate to reach out.


✏️ What’s taught in this course? ✏️


The Descriptive Essay 
Week beginning 14/10/24: What is a descriptive essay?
Week beginning 21/10/24: Writing with the five senses
Week beginning 28/10/24: Write an essay on ‘My favorite vacation spot is…’
Week beginning 4/11/24: Challenge: write about a topic you’re unfamiliar with

The Analytical Essay 
Week beginning 11/11/24: What is an analytical essay?
Week beginning 18/11/24: What is critical thinking?
Week beginning 25/11/24: Write an essay analyzing a poem
Week beginning 2/12/24: Challenge: analyze two sides of an argument without bias

Essay Writing Tool Kit
Week beginning 9/12/24: What is an essay?
Week beginning 16/12/24: Let’s write a complex sentence
Week beginning 23/12/24: Writing a complete paragraph
Week beginning 30/12/24: How to build an argument

The Narrative Essay
Week beginning 6/1/25: What is a narrative essay?
Week beginning 13/1/25: Fiction vs nonfiction 
Week beginning 20/1/25: Write an essay on ‘My favorite memory is…’ 
Week beginning 27/1/25: Challenge: add research to your narrative essay

The Process Essay
Week beginning 3/2/25: What is a process essay?
Week beginning 10/2/25: Writing clear instructions 
Week beginning 17/2/25: Write a process essay on ‘My morning routine is...’
Week beginning 24/2/25: Challenge: write a process essay with 5 or more steps

The Power of Rhetoric
Week beginning 3/3/25: What is rhetoric? The three rhetorical appeals
Week beginning 10/3/25: The Rhetorical Situation
Week beginning 17/3/25: Identifying rhetoric in advertisements
Week beginning 24/3/25: Using rhetoric in essays

The Informative Essay
Week beginning 31/3/25: What is an informative essay?
Week beginning 7/4/25: Opinions vs. facts
Week beginning 14/4/25: Write an essay on ‘The history of…’
Week beginning 21/4/25: Challenge: writing without bias

The Persuasive Essay
Week beginning 28/4/25: What is a persuasive essay?
Week beginning 5/5/25: Building a strong argument
Week beginning 12/5/25: Write an essay to change a school rule
Week beginning 19/5/25: Challenge: write an essay to persuade a senator 

The Research Process
Week beginning 26/5/25: What is research? + The research process
Week beginning 2/6/25: How to find credible sources
Week beginning 9/6/25: Adding research to your essays
Week beginning 16/6/25: Research your own country 

The Compare and Contrast Essay
Week beginning 23/6/25: What is a compare and contrast essay?
Week beginning 30/6/25: Venn diagrams, mind maps and how to organize paragraphs 
Week beginning 7/7/25: Write an essay comparing different environments on Earth
Week beginning 14/7/25: Challenge: compare and contrast 3 or more topics

The Argumentative Essay
Week beginning 21/7/25: What is an argumentative essay?
Week beginning 28/7/25: How to research and find credible sources
Week beginning 4/8/25: Write an essay on the topic ‘Is it okay to make friends online?’
Week beginning 11/8/25: Challenge: argue for a side you disagree with

Essay Writing Tool Kit
Week beginning 18/8/25: What is an essay?
Week beginning 25/8/25: Let’s write a complex sentence
Week beginning 1/9/25: Writing a complete paragraph
Week beginning 8/9/25: How to build an argument

The Expository Essay
Week beginning 15/9/25: What is an expository essay?
Week beginning 22/9/25: Opinion vs fact
Week beginning 29/9/25: Write an essay on the topic 'Where I Come From…’
Week beginning 6/10/25: Challenge: write PEEL paragraphs

The Evaluation Essay
Week beginning 13/10/25: What is an evaluation essay?
Week beginning 20/10/25: Writing strong, specific opinions
Week beginning 27/10/25: How to evaluate and revise an essay
Week beginning 3/11/25: Challenge: Evaluate travel destinations

The Power of Rhetoric
Week beginning 10/11/25: What is rhetoric? The three rhetorical appeals
Week beginning 17/11/25: The Rhetorical Situation
Week beginning 24/11/25: Identifying rhetoric in advertisements
Week beginning 1/12/25: Using rhetoric in essays

The Definition Essay
Week beginning 8/12/25: What is a definition essay?
Week beginning 15/12/25: What is the writing process?
Week beginning 22/12/25: Compare and contrast different definitions
Week beginning 29/12/25: Challenge: define an uncommon word

The Reflective Essay
Week beginning 5/1/26: What is a reflective essay?
Week beginning 12/1/26: How to structure and organize an essay
Week beginning 19/1/26: Reflect on an event from history
Week beginning 26/1/26: Challenge: reflect on your writing abilities

The Research Process
Week beginning 2/2/26: What is research? + The research process
Week beginning 9/2/26: How to find credible sources
Week beginning 16/2/26: Adding research to your essays
Week beginning 23/2/26: Research your own country 


Further topics to be added.


✏️ About my Qualifications ✏️
I have been an English teacher and tutor for more than 7 years. I have two degrees in English and writing, and have spent 3 years as a children's librarian where I developed literacy programs for young learners. If you'd like to learn more about me and my qualifications, please feel free to visit my profile. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have!

Let’s get learning!