“Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them.” Sure, that’s the standard structure for a non-fiction paper—but it can be a tad dull. I show students how every assignment brings with it the opportunity to play with that structure and employ creativity. There’s a place for voice … for humor … for style.

When I work with middle school, high school and college-aged writers as they tackle persuasive, research, compare-contrast, and informative writing, I show them how to go through the essential steps of the process. I make it clear why such steps are needed: They insure that the paper has a solid structure, is linear, flows well, maintains a consistent point of view, is written clearly for the target audience, and follows standard rules of English grammar, mechanics and usage. My ultimate goal is not only to help the student produce a paper that is a dramatic improvement over any that she’s written up to this point, but to show her just how satisfying that experience can be.

Grade Six – Adult (online okay)