Foundations of Composition – (Structure and Form)
Date & Time
Instructor
Grade Level
This course will lay the necessary foundation for the composition skills needed across academic subjects. It is ideal for students new to formal writing instruction or those that need support mastering the foundational skills of effective composition. Beginning with solid paragraph construction, students will progress to writing essays for numerous purposes. Students will be supported through the writing progress from brainstorming and outlining to the finished product. Weekly work in Jensen’s Punctuation will also be utilized to aid editing skills.
Please view prerequisites and required supplies below.
NOTE: This is a high school level course which requires a firm grasp of grammar. Students should understand and be able to identify all parts of speech and have a basic understanding of phrases and clauses. We do not recommend this course for 7th graders or below due to the pace and the requisite grammar skills. If you have questions about English placement, please contact registration@excelsiorclasses.com.
Students will need access to a Gmail account if they do not already have one.
Jenny Cutler earned her B.A. in Education in 2005 and her Master’s in Multicultural Education in 2012, both from Eastern University. She has taught in both private and public school settings and later transitioned to full-time online teaching in 2014, finding it an ideal fit for both her students and her family. In addition to teaching, Jenny has experience running a tutoring business and continues to serve her local church in a variety of capacities. She is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in English at Wichita State University.
Jenny is passionate about helping students develop a genuine love of literature. She believes that good books cultivate both critical thinking and compassion, and she especially enjoys guiding reluctant readers toward meaningful connections with texts they never expected to love.
Jenny lives in rural Michigan with her husband, four children, and a multitude of pets. When she’s not teaching she can usually be found experimenting with a new recipe, embroidering, swimming, or—most often—with her nose in a book.
Alison –
[Student Name] took the ACT this month for the final time – he was hoping to get his math score up near that “perfect” level. When I picked him up after the test he stated that he had done great on the English section. He credited his preparation for that section to this Foundations of Composition class…
When his scores arrived, he had improved his English score by 8 points!!! It is almost as high as his math score now!
So, THANK YOU! … [this] class was a great preparation, and more importantly it was taught in a way that helped him retain the information.
Anna B –
My sophomore completed this fall course 2023. Great emphasis on writing style and technique. Encouraged students to be creative in writing and thought process.