This class is intended to overcome a writer’s worst nightmare: reading your work to your peers.  Students will be tasked with responding to weekly prompts in class and presenting to  the class. This class will teach students the many types of writing: Persuasive, Informational,  Entertainment, Opinion (op-ed), and Argumentative. Weekly assignments are meant to prepare  students for larger writing assignments they will face in future classes.

An additional component of this class will be teaching students the elements of public speaking  and the various forms of presentation and debate, such as extemporaneous speeches, impromptu,  and memorized “off-book” presenting. Students will also get the chance at Q&A––how to ask  proper questions and how to respond to those unexpected curve balls. What role does our body  language and posture play in our perceived confidence? What should we do with our hands?  How can we control our pace, so we can eliminate filler words, such as “like” and “um”? How  can we memorize a full paragraph? What is eye contact? These are some of the skills we will  tackle together and answer, all intended to build not only precise writers, but well-prepared,  confident public speakers.

This is high-energy class with students from all backgrounds. In-class work and presentations  can come in the form of monologues, skits, debates, speeches, and research-centered Q&A  sessions each student can host. Students will have the chance to collaborate with classmates on  ideas, create outlines, play in-class word games, and free-write. While we are focused on  overcoming challenges and building character and charisma in our students, what is most  important is having fun and learning!

Yes, some of this may sound scary to a young writer, but what would a class like this be without  fun? Who knows, perhaps we will discover a future chairman, congresswomen, or entrepreneur!  It all starts with the confidence to present our ideas to a classroom.