Course Details:

    The teacher will provide all materials. Students will need to use Google Docs.

    Argument Writing: Assert, Reason, & Counter

    Students learn how to organize and write an argument essay with logic and reasoning. They formulate a thesis, support it, and counter the opposing argument, building a foundation for literary analysis and research papers.

    Section Options / Enroll:

    This product is currently out of stock and unavailable.

    Description

    🥊 Ah, the art of argument! You may think your teen is already pretty talented in this area. This may be true! But are their arguments valid and reasonable? Do they know how to acknowledge the other side of an issue, a counterclaim, and refute it? How well are their arguments presented in writing? Most high school and college writing is argument writing, and this class prepares them for college writing, including dual enrollment. Literary analysis and research papers require argument writing, and all the required writing prompts on the AP English and AP Language exams are argument writing. Students will be prepared for the rigor of upper high school and college writing after taking this course. In fact, some of our students have reported using our writing guide, which has clear and useful graphic organizers, to write their essays in their college courses.

    This is a multi-week, intensive writing class. Students will learn to write coherent, organized, and effective argumentative essays, which is a difficult–but critical–skill.

    📝 CLASS SYLLABUS:
    𝓦𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝟏–Students learn to differentiate between various genres of writing. They will annotate example essays to see how they are structured and organized. Direct instruction includes aspects of expository, persuasive, and argument writing as well as the effective strategies of argument.

    𝓦𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝟐–Building critical thinking and writing skills, students learn how to evaluate both sides of an issue and consider opposing points of view. Direct instruction includes how to counter an opposing claim.

    𝓦𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝟑-𝟒–Students begin writing their own argumentative essays while going through the writing process. An emphasis is placed on pre-writing so that drafting is easy. They learn how to conduct online research by evaluating the credibility of a website. They also learn to delineate issues, claims, reasons, evidence, and analysis. We walk them through the process of developing an argument and supporting it logically. They write their body paragraphs. Last, they learn how to modify and choose vocabulary for effect.

    𝓦𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝟓–Fine-tuning their body paragraphs, students revise body paragraphs and learn to elaborate by using multiple strategies. They also tackle the introduction and conclusion. The instructor will teach various techniques to strengthen students’ essays with powerful word choices and unique and stylistic sentence structures. They will learn how to format an essay to follow the MLA style guide, including a Works Cited page. Students also learn the importance of the revision and editing process using editing technology.

    🌻 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮 𝙒𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙡𝙡 – #TheLemons-AidWay 🍋

    𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 & 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺–We use “workshop time” so students will write while the teacher “visits” them on their Google Document. The immediacy of the feedback/revision cycle with the instructor helps writers improve rapidly. Additionally, once we started using this method, we saw nearly a 100% completion rate in student essays!

    𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨–Students desperately need this method of instruction, but it is tragically missing in schools across the country! Instead of leaving students to magically figure out how to write an essay, we teach explicitly, a method backed by decades of scientific evidence for its effectiveness. It’s how Mrs. Lemons teaches her undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates in college to teach! We do it this way because it’s how kids learn. Explicit instruction is “a structured, systematic, and effective methodology for teaching academic skills. It is called explicit because it is an unambiguous and direct approach to teaching that includes both instructional design and delivery procedures. Explicit instruction is characterized by a series of supports or scaffolds, whereby students are guided through the learning process with clear statements about the purpose and rationale for learning the new skill, clear explanations and demonstrations of the instructional target, and supported practice with feedback until independent mastery has been achieved.”
    -𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 by Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes.
    Anita Archer trained Mrs. Lemons in workshops, and it changed her teaching. All Lemons-Aid courses follow this philosophy in the form of I DO, WE DO, YOU DO. We move students forward toward mastery of skills.

    𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬–Students can expect to have homework after each live class. They will work 15-45 minutes, depending on the assignment and how quickly they work. Students receive authentic and constructive feedback from the instructor that helps students correct their mistakes and fine-tune their skills. We integrate grammar in all aspects of instruction, and we hold students to a high standard of academic writing. We achieve this through daily mini-lessons and practice with sentence writing and using various sentence starters.

    𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘳𝘴–Students need graphic organizers to help them see the structure of a paragraph or essay and the writing process. This is how they learn to develop coherent ideas. They don’t figure out how to do this magically; the graphic organizers and the intentional, explicit teaching help them learn the skills!

    𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺–Each class includes explicit, direct instruction with teacher modeling. Students are guided toward mastery of multiple writing skills and understandings so that they grasp the concepts and become independent. Students are held to a high standard of academic writing, including the use of grammar and the construction of sophisticated sentences.

    𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬–The back-and-forth work between a student and teacher significantly benefits a student if done well. We follow best practices in designing class time, assignments, and routines. According to Pennington Publishing, effective writing feedback (or grading) is:
    • Specific, not general
    • Immediate, not postponed
    • Routine with a revision / feedback cycle
    • Explanatory
    • The right amount
    • Targeted to the most critical issues
    • Varied (written, audio, and video comments)
    • Holding students accountable

    Lesson Schedule

    coming soon…

    Class Introduction Video

    Coming soon…

    Taught From a Christian Perspective

    Our mission is to equip learners’ minds and shepherd their hearts. We want them to have saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and then develop a biblical worldview. This means they view their world, themselves, and God in a way that aligns with what the Bible teaches. This brings great peace and understanding to the believer because we serve a good, sovereign God. This course is taught with these goals in mind. In class, we may pray, read scripture, and discuss how to view the content from a Christian perspective.

    We have adopted The Master’s Seminary Doctrinal Statement.

    ENGLISH:

    The most essential reason people must become competent readers is to read the word of God. This is how God communicates with His people, and literacy is critical for developing a biblical worldview. Competent readers can engage in the Word of God and other texts with much thinking and reflection. Readers should be able to decode, understand, remember, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, make inferences, make connections, and apply learning from reading to other subject areas and the rest of life. Readers grow in knowledge and wisdom and can let the Word of God renew their minds and transform their hearts, becoming thinkers who can engage the world for Christ.

    When writing, we are turning ideas into words that communicate. Written communication should be functional, truthful, orderly, coherent, creative, and beautiful, all traits present in God’s written words in the Bible, which we want to emulate.

    Communication skills are essential for believers. The communication skills taught in English will help learners communicate with others and to be confident public speakers. These skills are essential when sharing the gospel message. Our voices are tools that help us show Jesus to others as we witness to the world through what we say–and what we don’t say (see Colossians 4:6, James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:29, and Proverbs 10:19). We serve a creative God who has given us all kinds of tools to help communicate His message.

    LITERATURE:

    Stories often serve as powerful vehicles for truth. For example, the prophet Nathan used a parable to reveal King David’s sin in 1 Samuel 12:1-4. Similarly, Jesus frequently used parables to teach profound spiritual lessons. Literature clearly offers timeless insights that reflect the complexities of life, guiding us toward His wisdom and understanding.

    All truth is God’s truth. Even unbelievers use universal themes in their writing that clearly point to deeper truths about life and the human condition. For example, authors often use theme concepts related to justice, love, or integrity. These concepts reveal a glimpse of God’s truth– whether the author acknowledges it or not–because all truth originates from God (John 17:17).

    Throughout English and literature courses, learners will read about individuals who made flawed decisions. As Romans 3:23 reminds us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Literature provides a window into humanity’s fallen nature, allowing students to learn from the mistakes and successes of characters. By engaging with literature, students will gain timeless insights into the complexities of life, as reflected in Proverbs 2:6: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

    MATH:

    God has created our brains with the ability to study and comprehend amazing, complex things! Math is such a unique subject to study and master. We can see math in God’s creation, and we can appreciate His order through the complex skills we learn.

    CODING / TECH:

    The fact that humans have the knowledge and ingenuity to create something as complex as the Internet and the various languages and protocols that make it work is a testament to God’s role as the Creator. It is further proof that we were created in His image and given just a small fraction of His abilities to serve as stewards of His world.

    MUSIC:

    Celebrating God’s Creation Through Music

    Music is a beautiful part of God’s creation. Students learn to appreciate its complexity and beauty, reflecting Psalm 150:4, “Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with the strings and pipe.”

    Using Talents for God’s Glory

    Inspired by the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), this course encourages children to discover and develop their musical gifts, teaching them to use these talents to glorify God and serve others.

    Building a Musical Community

    Reflecting Romans 12:4-5, group activities foster a sense of unity and teamwork, helping students appreciate and respect each other’s musical abilities.

    Expressing Faith Through Music

    Colossians 3:16 guides students to use their musical skills for worship, enhancing their participation in church and personal devotion, making music a powerful form of expressing their faith.

    Developing Musical Discipline

    Hebrews 12:11 highlights the importance of discipline. Consistent practice in music teaches perseverance and dedication, valuable traits for spiritual growth and character development.

    Embracing God’s Creativity

    Ephesians 2:10 encourages creativity. Through composing and performing music, students reflect the creative nature of God, understanding their musical creations as a reflection of His image.

    A Holistic Musical Journey

    Musical Explorers integrates musical education with biblical principles, nurturing both musical skills and spiritual growth. Your child will grow as a musician and a young believer, equipped to see and appreciate the world from a biblical perspective through the lens of music. Join us on this enriching journey!

    SPANISH:

    Nelson Mandela once said, “If you speak to a man in a language he understands, you speak to his head. If you speak to him in his language, you speak to his heart.” The purpose of learning a language is to communicate, which means knowing vocabulary, phrases, and verbal and non-verbal cues to meet needs and share ideas with those who speak the language. There are many benefits to learning a second language, such as increasing memory and attention span, opening more career options, and even improving cognition in the later years of life. While these reasons matter, at Lemons-Aid, our top focus in learning a language is to meet the Great Commission as stated in Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV),

    Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The ability to speak two or more languages widens the ministry field and helps create better connections and meaning for people.

    SCIENCE

    Our mission is to equip learners’ minds with knowledge of God’s creation. Each lesson features a Bible verse about God’s creation and the lesson topic. This allows students to learn more about the world while ensuring they develop a Biblical worldview. Through learning about and appreciating God’s creation, we learn more about God and grow closer to him. Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things were created through him and for him.” All creation points to God, as Psalm 1:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

    ENTREPRENEURSHIP:

    These courses help learners view entrepreneurship through the lens of God’s design for creativity, stewardship, and serving others. From a biblical perspective, entrepreneurship is more than just making money—it’s about using our God-given talents to meet the needs of others, solve problems, and bring value to the world. Genesis 1:27 reminds us that we are made in God’s image, and just as God is the ultimate Creator, He has gifted us with the ability to create and work with purpose.

    Throughout our entrepreneurship and business courses, students learn how to take the gifts and passions God has given them and turn those into something that serves others, echoing the command in 1 Peter 4:10 to “use whatever gift you have received to serve others.” As they develop their business ideas, they are encouraged to think about how their product or service can be a blessing to their community, reflecting the biblical call to love and serve our neighbors.

    The deeper significance lies in realizing that business, like every other aspect of life, can be an act of worship and a way to fulfill God’s command to work diligently (Colossians 3:23), honor Him with our resources (Proverbs 3:9), and love others through service (Galatians 5:13).

    THEATER:

    Communication skills are essential for believers. The skills taught in this class will help learners gain confidence in speaking in front of others. These skills are essential when sharing the gospel message. Theater helps learners prepare for the unexpected. Likewise, 2 Timothy 4:2 tells us to be “instant in season and out.” We never know when God will give us an opportunity to share his message with others! Our voices are tools which help us show Jesus to others as we witness to the world through what we say–and what we don’t say (see Colossians 4:6, James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:29, and Proverbs 10:19). We serve a creative God who has given us all kinds of tools to help communicate His message.

    SOCIAL STUDIES (history, government, economics):

    This is in our hearts and minds and we’re working to get it written down for you! Stay tuned. This section is in the works.

    ✨ 🍋 ✨ Why Lemons-Aid? ✨ 🍋 ✨


    A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW: The Bible, infallible and inerrant, is the very written word of God, who has revealed Himself to man. The Bible is like the light we cast on all content areas in order to understand it, whether that be literature, physical science, history, or geometry. Students learn all content through a Biblical lens. Theology is important for understanding all subject areas. We carefully curate courses that capture learners’ imagination while pointing them to God through sound doctrine. THIS is most important!


    EXPLICIT TEACHING: We understand the skills and concepts students need to learn and know how to teach them. Lemons-Aid’s materials are top-notch, organized, and clear for students and parents to understand. We are especially skilled at breaking down a complicated process into understandable parts. Further, explicit instruction is “a structured, systematic, and effective methodology for teaching academic skills. It is called explicit because it is an unambiguous and direct approach to teaching that includes both instructional design and delivery procedures. Explicit instruction is characterized by a series of supports or scaffolds, whereby students are guided through the learning process with clear statements about the purpose and rationale for learning the new skill, clear explanations and demonstrations of the instructional target, and supported practice with feedback until independent mastery has been achieved.”

    • Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching by Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes.

    Anita Archer trained Mrs. Lemons in workshops, and it changed her teaching. Read a little more about the research behind explicit teaching here and here.


    STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY = ACHIEVEMENT: Students master skills with us and make gains. We have a high degree of accountability. Since we make promises here and parents are paying good money, we understand you trust us to work! Students have to work too, and let’s be honest: they’re kids and don’t always want to. We push it. We teach them how to stay engaged, we cold-call on kids, we tell them to use the chatbox, and we want them to use emojis! If they are resistant, we contact the student through the teacher tab first. If that doesn’t work, we call in the big guns–Mom and Dad. We want kids to learn. We don’t want them to pass through our classes without gaining skills and doing great learning.


    DO HARD THINGS. Boost your confidence, master new skills, learn new concepts. This takes a commitment to do hard things. Like the standards we have for our teachers, we also expect our learners to do hard things, whether that means they stand firm in their convictions, learn geometry, write an essay, or give an oral presentation. You can do hard things!


    HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: To balance our high expectations for their learning and behavior, we build relationships with them. We want them to know we care about and know them. We’ll ask about their play last weekend or the new trick they’re trying to master on the skateboard. We also want students to get to know each other and encourage community engagement.


    DEPENDABLE: Multiple teachers are teaching this class, and we have an entire year of lessons planned and scheduled. Since we are a mission-driven organization, we protect our brand and the relationships with our families. We are accountable to our learners. When things come up for teachers, we work to get substitutes and do everything we can before canceling a class. We do not like canceling or changing, and we often teach classes at a loss to give others a chance to join. We have limits, of course, but we are not flippant or irresponsible about canceling! When things come up for students, since we have multiple sections, they can transfer from section to section. All our teachers teach the same content the same week, giving families even more flexibility!


    TEACHER FEEDBACK: The back-and-forth work between a student and teacher significantly benefits a student if done well. We follow best practices in designing class time, assignments, and routines. According to Pennington Publishing, effective writing feedback (or grading) is:

    • Specific, not general
    • Immediate, not postponed
    • Routine with a revision / feedback cycle
    • Explanatory
    • The right amount
    • Targeted to the most critical issues
    • Varied (written, audio, and video comments)
    • Holding students accountable

    WORKSHOP TIME: We use “workshop time” so students will work while the teacher answers questions, gets them started, and holds them accountable. In a writing class, the teacher “visits” learners on their Google Documents and watches and helps them write. The immediacy of the feedback/revision cycle with the instructor allows writers to improve rapidly. Additionally, once we started using this method in writing classes, we saw nearly a 100% completion rate in student essays!


    GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS: Students need graphic organizers to help them see the structure and breakdown of a concept or process. For example, we use them to help learners understand how to write a paragraph or essay and to use the writing process. This is how they learn to develop coherent ideas. They don’t figure out how to do this magically; the graphic organizers and the intentional, explicit teaching help them learn the skills!


    STUDENT MASTERY: Each class includes explicit, direct instruction with teacher modeling. Students are guided toward mastery of skills and understandings to grasp the concepts and become independent. Students are held to a high standard of academic work, including often ignored skills like the use of grammar and neatness in math.


    STUDY THE BEAUTIFUL

    We are surrounded by the mediocre, which is not good! We see this in expectations at some schools, the poor customer service at a store, and even architecture like in a gray, uninspiring complex of high-occupancy housing.

    In contrast, we are surrounded by the beautiful, which is good! We see the beautiful in classic literature, music, and beautiful architecture like pictured here.

    The mediocre demoralizes learners while the beautiful inspires.

    At Lemons-Aid Learning, we study the beautiful: classic literature, artful sentence construction, art, poetry, maths, God’s hand in all of history, and God’s very creation. His creation glorifies Him, and in our study of all content areas, we learn about who God is.

    We do not compromise. This means we don’t choose a graphic novel of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We read the original play. We know how to make the complexity and beauty of classic study approachable and understandable to a modern audience. It’s more difficult, but worth the effort!

    For over a century, progressive education reform has been “anti-content,” which means they de-emphasize rich content and focus instructional time on things such as self-esteem and “skills” they hope will benefit a learner in the future. This is why American kids do so poorly in testing compared to nations with content-rich curricula. We want our learners to increase in knowledge and grow in wisdom, which our content-area experts foster while teaching.


    CUSTOMER SERVICE

    We serve the Lord and we work hard for families. We work to give quick responses to questions, authentic and careful feedback, and to solve any conflict. As home educators ourselves, familiar with the joys and struggles of teaching our own children, we can relate! We are supporting families, equipping learners, and serving Christ. We are 100% devoted to Him and to you!

    To read more about our teaching and learning methods, read our blogs, written by our teachers and staff.

    The Lemons-Aid Team

    Lemons-Aid teachers have a few things in common.
    ❤️ They love their students and value each of their unique strengths and personalities that make our classes special. Our classes can be described as fun, personal, academic, challenging, and supportive.
    🤩 We work to keep learners engaged, so there is always a degree of student accountability for their attention and focus, whether that be through asking them direct questions or by using the chatbox.
    💭 We know all kids can learn, but sometimes things are hard! To support students, we teach them how to develop effective thinking and learning habits that will bring them success in class and in life.
    🌟 Building relationships with students so they know we care about them helps us balance the high expectations we have for them regarding their effort, work quality, and behavior. Our students are encouraged, cared for, and they achieve!

    𝙆𝘼𝙍𝙀𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙈𝙊𝙉𝙎: English Language Arts
    #High-Energy #Skilled #Experienced #Relational #Fun #Faithful
    Karen is the Founder of Lemons-Aid. She has a bachelor’s degree in English, a minor in Education, and a master’s degree in Education Administration from Liberty University. With a teaching certificate and a principal’s license in both Washington and Colorado, she has many years of experience teaching English Language Arts and History / Social Studies at the middle school and high school levels. Additionally, she is TESOL and TEFL certified and enjoys teaching English Language Learners from all over the world. She has worked in private and public schools at every level and is currently an affiliate faculty member at Colorado Christian University, supervising teacher candidates in their undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs. She is a teacher of teachers. A homeschool mom herself, she admits that teaching other people’s kids is easier than teaching her own teenage boys! She lives in the Denver, Colorado area where she cheers on the Broncos, Avs, and the Rockies, but her favorite athletes are her own kids who play hockey and baseball!

    𝑱𝑬𝑵𝑵 𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑳𝑬: English Language Arts
    #Experienced #Knowledgeable #Empowering #Patient #Rises Above the Ordinary.
    As a certified English teacher, Jenn has taught in some capacity over the course of the past twenty-five years. She has taught middle school and high school English classes in both private and public school settings, tutored international ESL students online, developed and taught literature and public speaking classes for a local homeschool co-op, and homeschooled her own two children. Jenn has a bachelor’s degree in English Education. A strong believer in lifelong learning, Jenn has also taken several graduate-level courses related to teaching. Jenn enjoys spending time with her husband, Mark, and their two teenagers. She enjoys taking day trips close to where they live in upstate New York. In her spare time, Jenn enjoys singing and performing in plays. Additionally, she enjoys curling up on the sofa to read a good book. More than likely, one of her four cats will be curled up at her feet.

    𝙆𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙉 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀𝙈𝘼𝙉: Elementary
    #Fun #Inspiring #LoveForLearning
    Kristen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education with a minor in child psychology from Liberty University. For nearly a decade, she has worked in elementary school classrooms, as a private tutor, and as an online ELL teacher. While passionate about education in general, her favorite subjects to both study and teach are reading, grammar, and writing. She and her husband are actively involved in a church where she works as a Sunday School teacher and Children’s Ministry teacher to ages 4-6. No matter where she is teaching, Kristen tries to find ways to connect with her students and to create an exciting classroom that builds a passion for education. It is her desire to not only teach a subject but also to foster a love of learning which inspires students to want to learn more even once the class is completed. Kristen lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and their new baby boy! In her spare time, Kristen loves to create teaching content such as interactive lesson plans, worksheets, and more! She also enjoys doing family outings and crafting.

    𝙈𝙍𝙎. 𝘼𝙇𝙄:
    Elementary
    #Engaging #Fun #Patient #Kind #Encouraging
    Ali has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked with children over the last 11 years. She taught for 6 years in public school, 2 years in Kindergarten and 4 years in First Grade. She has worked as a reading tutor and ESL teacher online for the last 4 years; she has also tutored children in-person in reading, writing, and STEM. Ali believes that every child is a natural learner; she believes that an educator’s goal is to engage each child in the way that they learn best! She is passionate about creating a safe and FUN environment that teaches the whole child. Each time she enters a classroom, whether it is in-person or online, you can find her singing, playing games, and making learning fun. Ali lives in Missouri, near St. Louis with her husband, son, and fur-child (an 80 lb. German Shepherd who doesn’t know how big he is). In her free time she loves reading, writing, crafts, hiking, working out, and spending time with my family.

    𝙆𝙄𝙈𝘽𝙀𝙍𝙇𝙔 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙄𝙎𝙄: English
    #Energetic #Kind #Encouraging #Authentic #Enthusiastic #Guide
    Kim loves life, loves people, and loves learning! She views each student as a team member with his or her own unique talents, skills and life experience to bring to the group. She loves helping students expand their knowledge and sharpen their skills to reach their greatest potential. Kim has a Bachelor’s degree from Cairn University in secondary Education with certification in English (NY and PA) and endorsement in music. Her classroom experience has focused on English, PE and Bible education, but she has tutored in a variety of areas including ESL, special ed, math, history, science and music (piano and voice). She lives in northeast PA with her wonderful family. She has homeschooled all of her seven children. The youngest five are still in school and ensure that every day is an adventure. Kim also coaches intramural and competitive sports throughout the year. She loves music, sports, reading and taking long walks up her dirt road admiring wildflowers, listening to birds and reflecting on what she is learning in life!

    𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙇𝘼 𝙂𝘼𝙍𝘾𝙄𝘼: Spanish
    #happy, #joyful, #IloveGod, #Jesusismyking, #creative
    Mariela loves reading the whole Bible, but Esther is one of her favourite books. God´s name is never even pronounced, but He is in every moment in Esther´s life but also in His people, Israel. Nothing goes out of God´s control and we can see His power, wisdom, care and perfect will accomplished in every character, even if they wanted it or not. Mordecai´s words, “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” are so encouraging, remembering that we have to value and use the place God has placed us in to do what is right. But Esther´s words “And if I perish, I perish” are Mariela´s favourites. What an example of living sacrifice! Mariela has a Bachelor’s degree in Science and Arts oriented in programming in Guatemala and a TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test) Certificate in Mexico. She has also studied different diplomats: Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina, where she lived for almost three years; “Math Their Way”; “Learning thru training fields”; “Biblical Counseling”; and “TPRS 01 Training” in Mexico. Mariela has 13 years of experience teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in kindergarten, elementary and middle school. She also has more than 20 years teaching the Bible in Sunday School. Miss Mariela is a very dynamic teacher who loves hands-on activities, online learning games, using research innovative tools, and having fun in class, while learning and assessing positively to encourage students to enjoy speaking other languages. Mariela enjoys spending time at home with her family, her husband Geronimo, her two kids, Jonathan and Bryana, and her three Jack Russells, Jack, Rose and Tommy. She loves cooking, baking and reading a good book with a hot cup of coffee. She likes swimming as a sport, pretty much because she is afraid of balls 😜 and she loves going to the park to walk and have picnics. She loves spending vacations at the beach because watching the ocean is one of her favorites ways to worship the Lord seeing such an amazing creation!

    𝘽𝙀𝘾𝙆𝙔 𝙋𝘼𝘿𝙂𝙀𝙏𝙏: Spanish
    #thoughtful #creative #athletic #silly #adventurous
    Becky loves the Psalms because it contains some of her favorite scripture and songs from her childhood. Becky graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Education and a minor in Anthropology from Purdue University. She holds a teaching certificate in the state of Alaska. She is currently seeking her Masters of Arts in Global Studies at Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity. She has been in the classroom teaching high school Spanish for over twenty five years. She also has orchestrated international travel trips and a travel exchange with a school in Spain. Becky’s favorite thing about teaching is her students. She loves seeing the looks of excitement on her student’s faces when they start to communicate in another language. Her classes are fun and filled with a variety of activities and brain-friendly content. Her goals for her students are to be able to engage and communicate within the Hispanic world and to become curious, life-long learners. She loves traveling, hiking, and fishing with family. She enjoys making her own yogurt, kombucha, and sourdough bread. She reads a lot about self-sustaining lifestyles and praises God for the beautiful natural world He created.
    🎥 Video coming soon

    𝘽𝙇𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝘿𝘼𝙃𝙇𝙈𝙀𝙔𝙀𝙍: Create Arts & Music
    #artistic, #curious, #entrepreneurial, #empathetic, #relational
    I hold a Bachelor’s of Music in Jazz Studies Degree from Western Connecticut State University. I’ve been producing, performing, and teaching music to people of all ages for over 10 years. In addition to teaching, I regularly perform, write, record, produce, and mix various music projects of my own and for other artists and clients. I’m deeply passionate about music and creating, and I love to share the joy and knowledge of how to express oneself musically with my students. My classroom is lively, lighthearted, and upbeat. You can expect lots of encouragement while I give feedback and pointers to improve. I aim to cultivate your creativity, stretch your musicality, and hone in on what sparks your musical curiosity. I love to to laugh with my wife. I love to be with my family and the friends who may as well be family. I love to create, whether in the form of music, writing, drawing, or painting. I enjoy that process. As of right now, my favorite book of the Bible is Ephesians! I love meditating on who I am in Christ and what I have been given access to in Him. Ephesians breaks that down beautifully.

    𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙢𝙮𝙩𝙝: History Social Studies
    #patient, #encouraging, #relational, #passionate, #always learning
    Mr. Smyth’s favorite book of the Bible is 1 Corinthians. He had the opportunity to visit the ruins of ancient Corinth, a place that made the book come alive. He especially likes that it includes the earliest known Christian creed (1 Cor. 15:3-5). Mr. Smyth graduated from Patrick Henry College with a Bachelor of Arts in Government. He earned a High School Social Studies teaching certification from Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) in 2015. He also studied hermeneutics (the study of biblical interpretation) at Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention. Mr. Smyth has firsthand experience with and knowledge of the American electoral system and legislative system. In college, he supported the U.S. executive branch by providing helpful information and analysis to national security professionals. Since then, he has worked as a writer, researcher, and analyst. He is a lifelong student of history, government, and Scripture. Mr. Smyth’s classroom emphasizes connection, confidence, and critical thinking. He aims to help students enjoy the learning experience while they engage the material and exercise their minds. He sees himself as a coach and a cheerleader for each of his students. Mr. Smyth enjoys spending time with his family, going on walks (and generally spending time outside), watching/reading/listening to good stories, hands-on projects (like auto repair), and volunteering at church. He spends lots of time learning about history (American, British, church, and military are his favorites), machines (cars and airplanes, especially), and technology. He is also writing a historical novel in his spare time.

    𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙄𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙀 𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙀: Science
    #engaging, #passionate, #supportive, #knowledgeable, #dedicated
    Danielle’s favorite book of the Bible is any of the books by Paul the Apostle, but her absolute favorite of his writings is the book of Galatians. Paul teaches that we are justified through faith, not by works. Our works should make our faith apparent, but are not what get us to Heaven. So no matter how many times we mess up and drift away from God, it is our faith that justifies us, not what we do. Danielle earned her Bachelor’s of Science in General Biology in 2010, then she went on to earn her Master’s of Science in Curriculum and Instruction in 2020. She is currently certified in grade 6-12 for science and biology. Danielle has worked in a traditional brick and mortar school for 7 years and taught online for 1 year. Most of her experience is in middle school, 6th-8th general science and high school biology. She has also taught conservation biology programs at two different zoos as a coordinator and education assistant. Mrs. Mortimore’s classroom is engaging and fun. Students feel welcomed to ask questions no matter how silly they may seem. Students are also asked questions quite often to encourage participation. Every lesson starts with an overarching question that students will answer, and instruction is hands-on and phenomena based. When Danielle is not working, she is often brainstorming on future lessons/courses. She enjoys reading fantasy fiction, playing videos games with her husband, walking their dog, and attending church.

    KENDRA MANCUSO: Math
    #energetic, #caring, #blessed, #organized, #experienced
    Mrs. Mancuso’s favorite book of the Bible is James. This book is filled with wisdom, instructions and encouragement for believers. James exhorts believers to grow in their faith and maturity. Mrs. Mancuso remembers James 1:2-4 when she encounters trials; “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Mrs. Mancuso earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from University of Northwestern – St. Paul. She has over 20 years of experience as a private math tutor. Mrs. Mancuso has taught in a private high school setting and as an adjunct at a university. She has taught math levels ranging from upper elementary to college level. She has taught in both a classroom setting and as a private math tutor. Mrs. Mancuso engages her students in her lessons by asking lots of questions. These questions help students discover new concepts, remember old skills and build a strong foundation in math. Her classroom is interactive and exciting for students. When Mrs. Mancuso isn’t teaching or working, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband and sons. She loves to spend time outside hiking, being on the water, or just hanging out in the fresh air.

    LUKE LEMONS: Science
    #passionate #diligent #thoughtful #efficient #understanding
    Luke loves the book of Isaiah! It is an excellent picture of the faithfulness of the Lord to His chosen people and the use of Isaiah, a human, to do amazing things on behalf of God. God used Isaiah as an instrument for His long-term plan. Isaiah didn’t know what the Lord’s plan was but faithfully followed Him and fearlessly professed on behalf of the Lord to His people. Isaiah 6:8 – Then [Isaiah] heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then [Isaiah] said, “Here am I. Send me!” Luke has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Biomedical Sciences with a dual emphasis in Pre-medical Sciences and Cellular and Molecular Biology. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and was a part of Sigma Zeta National Honor Society. Further, he was selected as a Young Scholar for the American College of Cardiology. He is an Emergency Medical Technician and a researcher for the Master’s University Biological and Physical Sciences Program. He has experience teaching large tutoring groups of college students and especially helps with Anatomy and Physiology, Molecular Genetics and Genomics. He is also a substitute teacher at a special needs school and coaches kids with special needs play to play hockey. With Luke, students will experience a tutor who has been in their shoes before! Science classes are extremely difficult and can be frustrating, so students will be in an understanding environment that recognizes each individual’s level of understanding. Students will feel equipped with tailored explanations of the material and will understand the purpose of learning it by relating it to real-life examples in the field of science, medicine, and research. Students will leave the classroom feeling reassured, reinvigorated, and ready for the class and material they are studying. Right now, Luke spends the majority of his time applying for medical schools. In his free time, he likes to work on his car.
    🎥 Video coming soon

    𝙍𝙊𝘽𝙀𝙍𝙏 𝙒𝘼𝙇𝙎𝙃: Coding/Tech
    #developer #experienced #fun #making-learning-relevant #entrepreneur
    I like the Gospels, especially Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I also like Acts. I enjoy the Bible not only for its message but also for its historical context, and I think these books in particular give a sense for what it was like in that time period. I hold a B.S. in Secondary Mathematics Education and an M.Ed in STEM Leadership. I am currently certified by the Mid-South Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) to teach a variety of subjects including computer science. While I did teach math in public school for a few years, those degrees book-end a career spent in technology, largely as a software developer. I bring my extensive experience, not only in creating technical products but also in the process of creating technical products, to every class that I teach. Learning for me should be a fun experience, so even though I am very focused on the material we are studying, I believe we can have a good time while doing so. Learning should also be relevant and have a purpose, so I like to give lots of real-world examples and connections. I like sports and played several growing up. I also like to read and work in the yard. The best part of my job is creating the projects that we then do in class. Coming up with new ideas, figuring out how to make them work, then preparing and teaching the lessons is a blast!

    𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙀𝙉𝙉𝘼 𝙎𝙋𝙍𝙔: English

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    High School Writing Series

    This class is part of a series that prepares students to do dual enrollment college classes or are entering college. The series gets progressively more difficult and are scheduled in order. You can still jump in whenever you’d like! Completion of all of these classes, which takes about 6 months will cover all necessary high school writing! They make up a complete high school writing plan.