Writing courses
Writing is a critical life skill, necessary for success in college, graduate school, and the real world. When teaching writing, I stress the importance of clear logic and precise thinking. As Neil Rudenstine, the former president of Harvard University, has observed, “Nothing is harder than writing, because the process forces you to confront and articulate what (and how) you think.” If you cannot think well, you cannot write well. I help students become better writers and thinkers – skills that will serve them well in all their future endeavors.
I teach writing in two of my SAT / ACT prep courses, as well as in my Core Skills and enrichment courses for grades 4-8. However, only one course focuses exclusively on expository writing: the intensive Expository Writing Workshop, offered only during the summer. This course sells out every year, so I encourage interested students to register early.
I also offer a Personal Essay Workshop for rising seniors and juniors who want to work on their college application essays during the summer -- or simply hone their writing skills by working on personal essays.
Click here for answers to frequently asked questions about my courses.
Expository Writing Workshop
- Offered only during the summer
- For students entering grades 10-12; also open to rising 9th graders who are strong in reading and writing
- This course will not be offered in the summer of 2010; it may be offered in the summer of 2011.
Course description: This small-group class is designed to prepare students for college-level writing assignments; we will use college textbooks, including one written by the director of Harvard’s Expository Writing Program. This is one of my most popular courses; many students who have taken it have dramatically improved their writing.
By reading, discussing, and analyzing sophisticated essays by well-known authors, students will develop insights that will enable them to critique and revise their own written work. Students will write essays using the major methods of development (e.g., narration, description, analysis, comparison/contrast, argument/persuasion). I will provide detailed written feedback on all assignments, and students will use that feedback to revise their essays. (We will spend extra time on persuasive essays, the type of essay that the SAT and ACT require students to write. Students will have the opportunity to write and revise sample SAT/ACT essays.)
Personal Essay Workshop
- Offered only during the summer
- Priority given to rising seniors, but also open to rising juniors
- This course will not be offered in the summer of 2010; it may be offered in the summer of 2011.
This intensive workshop will give students an opportunity to work on college application essays -- the most difficult part of college applications, but also one of the most important. Students will work on the long and short essays in the Common Application, as well as additional essays of their choice for specific colleges. Each student will receive detailed written feedback on all assignments, as well as individual coaching on which essay topics will work best for him or her in the context of college applications Students will analyze and critique personal essays by well-known authors and develop their writing skills throughout the course.