The comma. Of all the punctuation marks, it is the most misused. Students of the age that this class is aimed for often leave them out as their sentences get longer and longer. College students, that I teach, often include unnecessary commas. This class is designed to point out the, often very subtle, rules of comma usage and give students practice implementing them. 
Each week I will present one rule and then students will practice implementing the rule. We will practice little by little, so they can make adjustments along the way. I will also provide additional practice for students to do on their own. I am happy to provide feedback on these assignments. 

Through lessons on independent clauses, coordinating conjunctions and punctuating dialogue, students will learn additional grammar and mechanics beyond comma usage
The first lesson is about why commas even exist: to prevent confusion. After that each week we will focus on a specific comma rule. 

Week by week students will learn the following rules in a way that is simplified and easily digestible.

1. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.
2. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause.
3. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause.
4. Do not use commas to set off essential elements of the sentence, such as clauses beginning with that (relative clauses). That clauses after nouns are always essential. That clauses following a verb expressing mental action are always essential.
5. Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series.
6. Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun. Be sure never to add an extra comma between the final adjective and the noun itself or to use commas with non-coordinate adjectives.
7. Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift.
8. Use commas to set off phrases at the end of the sentence that refer to the beginning or middle of the sentence. Such phrases are free modifiers that can be placed anywhere in the sentence without causing confusion. (If the placement of the modifier causes confusion, then it is not "free" and must remain "bound" to the word it modifies.)
10. Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation.
11. Use commas wherever necessary to prevent possible confusion or misreading.
12. Don't use a comma to separate the subject from the verb.
13. Don't put a comma between the two verbs or verb phrases in a compound predicate.
14. Don't put a comma between the two nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses in a compound subject or compound object.
15. Don't put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast).