In this 13-week class, reluctant and overwhelmed writers will learn how to break assignments down into manageable chunks. This is such an important skill to learn so that the "brain chaos" doesn't take over, a skill used across many facets of life. I will be guiding writers through every step of the way. While our class topics will be the same, learners will choose their own topics to write about. I will give a list of ideas, but I want everyone to write about things that are important to them, as it makes learning the writing process easier. My goal is that by the end of the class students will learn not only that they CAN write, but also that writing doesn't have to be a dreaded occurrence (and can even be fun!). 

Please see the outline below for details about what we will work on. 

Week 1: The Writing Process - Brainstorm, Outline, Rough Draft, Editing, Feedback, Final Copy 
Week 2: Anatomy of a Sentence, Paragraph, and Essay using "hamburger stacking"
Week 3: Vivid Vocabulary, Painting a word picture, responsible/acceptable use of a thesaurus
Week 4: What is procedural Writing? How do I write a procedural essay? 
Week 5: Editing and Feedback - Why is it important? How do we accept and deliver feedback? What do I look for when editing?
Week 6: Poetry - Rhyming Schemes, Cinquain, Limerick, Haiku, Acrostic
Week 7: What is expository writing? How do I write an expository essay?
Week 8: Editing and Feedback 
Week 9: What is persuasive writing? How do I write a persuasive essay?
Week 10: Editing and Feedback
Week 11: What is narrative writing? How do I write a narrative essay?
Week 12: Editing and Feedback 
Week 13: Share your favorite pieces

All of our editing and feedback will be encouraging, respectful, and productive. Everyone will have (and is encouraged to have) different ideas and opinions. All perspectives will be honored and accepted. 

I feel that children should be encouraged to follow their passions. Children need to know that they can have what they want for their lives if they have the correct tools and motivation to get there. I hope to help build confidence in my students and to give them some of those tools. I also believe that not every child learns the same way. Education is not a one-size-fits-all experience. I look forward to helping your child learn how they learn.

While I offer an extensive collection of class content choices, my specialty is meeting students where they’re at and making the course material accessible to all students, regardless of the topic. I love to be silly with my students and encourage interaction in all of my classes. I want learners to feel at ease and safe to be themselves in my classroom. My small class sizes and relaxed, encouraging teaching style allow me to tailor my classes to each student’s needs and learning style, resulting in learners walking away from class confident and smiling.


*If you don't see a time listed that works for you, please reach out. I am happy to add classes to accommodate students' schedules whenever I can. Thank you!*