High School Literature and Composition

This course is going to guide students in the close reading and critical analysis of classic works of literature, and helps them appreciate the texts and the contexts in which the works were written. Students will be provided a list of short stories, poetry, drama, novels, autobiographies, essays, and famous speeches. By examining model essays in various genres by student and published writers, students broaden their composition skills through in-depth planning, organizing, drafting, revising, proofreading, and feedback, they hone their writing skills. Students build on their grammar, usage, and mechanics skills with in-depth study of sentence analysis and structure, agreement, and punctuation, reinforced by online activities. Meanwhile, students will enhance their vocabularies through the study of Greek and Latin root words, improving students’ ability to decipher the meanings of new words. In one word, this course is going to challenge students to improve their written and oral communication skills, while strengthening their ability to understand and analyze literature in a variety of genres.

High School Essay Made Easy

This 10-week summer class will serve as an introduction to high school essay writing. Aligned with the Common Core State Standards, the course will emphasize narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory essays. Globally, students will learn how to determine a narrow focus for their essays, organize their ideas effectively, and support their claims with evidence. At the sentence level, students will develop confidence in writing strong thesis statements, topic sentences, concluding sentences, and transitions. Additionally, students will practice using strong syntax and diction appropriate to their audience and subject, and they will learn how employing varied sentence structures contributes to the overall strength of their essays.

Students can expect to complete about 2-3 hours of homework per week. During the course of the 10-week class, students will write 3 multi-draft essays (narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory). For the first draft of each essay, they will receive written feedback from their peers. For the second draft of each essay, they will receive written feedback from the instructor. Their third draft will be graded using a class-designed rubric. Each draft will be due to their instructor by 5pm Wednesday. Students will receive feedback on their essays by 5pm each Thursday and will be expected to review that feedback before class on Friday. Students will also complete other homework tasks aimed at strengthening their writing skills.

To explore the narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory genres in greater depth, as well as to learn about 8 other essay genres, including research/synthesis, compare/contrast, cause/effect, description, illustration, classification, definition, and exam essays, join us in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, too!

Mr. Herrera has taught both high school as well as college English Composition for nearly two decades. In addition, he has taught creative writing, mythology, dual enrollment, and academic writing courses to students at levels ranging from grade school to college, as well as provided weekly one on one reading and writing tutoring sessions to both grade school and high school students at two distinct online academies. In regard to his education, Mr. Herrera has earned a Master of Arts in English from Eastern Illinois University, a Master of Education in Education Administration from Grand Canyon University, and is currently pursuing a third Master of Arts in Philosophy from The Holy Apostles College and Seminary.

Alison is an experienced English Language Arts educator with over 15 years of teaching across high school, college, and adult education. She holds a B.A. in English: Teacher Licensure from Elon University and an M.A. in Composition and Rhetoric from Miami University. Her passion for writing instruction began as a Writing Consultant, supporting students one-on-one through all stages of the writing process. Alison taught high school English for six years, including AP English Language and Composition, where nearly all her students scored a 4 or 5 on the AP exam. She has also taught French, college-level writing, and provided SAT/ACT tutoring and college essay support. Her students consistently see score improvements and gain confidence in their writing. With 10 years of experience teaching English to adult immigrants and refugees, Alison brings empathy, energy, and adaptability to her classroom. She enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, and spending time with family in her free time.

Customer satisfaction is our top priority. If you are not satisfied, we offer 100% refund after the 1st trial class. If the withdrawal happens after the 2nd class, refund will be prorated. If the withdrawal happens after the 3rd class or future classes, no cash refund will be made. Instead, you can use the remaining class tuition (prorated) to sign up for other classes or save it as credit for future classes. No refunds for missed classes. We reserve the right to cancel classes due to low enrollment.