Lessons

Once a week video calls, as well as writing assignments each week. These assignments will usually be projects, such as essays or research papers, that span multiple weeks and will be designed to reinforce what we work on during lessons.

Everyone has different goals, and I want to tailor lessons to each student and their specific goals and needs. Here are common elements of writing that I focus on with my students:

• Basic essay formatting

• Different types of writing: persuasive, informational, formal, informal, etc.

• Research papers: finding and citing sources, avoiding plagiarism, conveying your interests and passions

• The technical aspects: grammar, punctuation, word choice, sentence structure, conventions

• Organizing, outlining, and overcoming writer's block

• “Rules” - what they are, when to apply them, and (something I feel is often overlooked) when not to

• Creativity and finding your writing voice

• Specifying your audience and tailoring your writing for them

• Most importantly, developing comfort and confidence in writing and, of course, enjoying it

We will start from whatever level the student is at, then build from there. There is always room to improve your writing, and I hope to help fill as much of that room as possible.

Teaching and taking classes online was a big change for everyone. As our world transitions back to in-person instruction, we shouldn't forget about the benefits of online classes. In-person and online classes don't have to be mutually exclusive. Remote learning allows students and instructors to connect regardless of geography and with significantly fewer scheduling challenges. Online classes are a great supplement even when one's primary educational medium is in-person. That's why I will continue to provide virtual writing lessons, not because a virus necessitates it, but because it has the ability to be helpful for students anywhere in the world.

Based on my experience teaching writing virtually, I’m confident we will get just as much out of it as if we were face-to-face, and I’m sure we’ll be able to work out any problems that may come up.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding how we’ll approach online learning.

When teaching in-person, I'm usually able to talk with parents about the lessons before I leave. However, with online lessons, it's a bit different. So, to make sure you're getting everything you would be if we were doing lessons in-person, I can stay on the video call for 5-10 minutes after lessons to chat with you. If you would like to, just send me an email at least a day before our lessons and I can stick around to give you updates, answer questions, or just chat. This is a great way of keeping up with how the lessons are going. We can do this as much or as little as you would like; I would recommend about once every 3-5 lessons.