Mom
There are at least four good reasons why you might well consider partnering with John Jenkins in your quest to provide strong writing skills for your homeschooled children.
1) John’s classes are comfortable even as they provide challenge for the student writer. His approach makes it easier for the student to be himself and find his voice.
2) I can say with a high degree of confidence that John would be an excellent choice for teaching writing to your gifted child, as well as a child who struggles to communicate on paper, as my own children’s abilities in receptive and expressive language skills vary widely. Three of my five homeschooled children have taken at least one of his classes, and Lord willing the remaining two will be his students next year.
3) The biggest advantage that I see in taking John’s classes in writing is learning to take a reasoned approach. In other words, my children have been well served in learning how to organize their thoughts so as to remove much of the mystery in going from a blank page to a finished work, whether a timed essay or a research paper.
4) And finally, John is a committed follower of Jesus Christ, and brings that worldview into the classroom, providing a solid reinforcement of values taught at home by earnest Christian parents.
Mr. Jenkins classes have taught me so much and have shown me that writing is not as difficult as it seems. He has a unique approach to teaching and grading, which provides for an easier, more enjoyable learning environment than what you will find elsewhere. Combined with his warm and friendly personality, Mr. Jenkins classes are fun and will teach students many important skills.
Skills learned from EW (Effective Writing):
- Attention to detail
- How to use footnotes
- Making the essay organized
- How to write a timed essay for the SAT
- How to research and document sources
- Planning for essays and organizing thoughts and notes
- Proper paraphrasing
Skills learned from Master Storyteller:
- How to write a short story, complete with good characters and interesting plot in a variety of genres
- How to write a vignette
- How to create colorful characters with a deep personality who experience growth over the course of the story
- Planning out a story before writing
- How to give the story a moral
- How to “show” and not “tell” in writing
EW class was fantastic! I learned how to properly organize my thoughts on paper, what college professors expect of their students, and how to compose a well structured essay on a variety of topics. I never once was bored in his class, Mr. J held you accountable, and he often shared personal testimonies from his life with his students that gave glory to God! Mr. J’s classes are rare; tough but in a Christ like setting. Best of both worlds!
I was in Mr. Jenkins’ Effective Writing class last year. Part of what I loved about that class was how much I learned. I went away with a knowledge of how to write an effective essay without the stress/worry, and after getting used to doing the 25 minute SAT essays, I found I didn’t have to be afraid of them after all! 🙂 I did NOT particularly enjoy writing essays when I started the class, but when I left, writing essays didn’t feel like it had to be a huge stressful deal anymore. Also, the way Mr. Jenkins teaches makes you feel at ease. He never makes you feel stupid! Mr. Jenkins is full of learning, laughter, and a Christ-loving heart, adding up to be an awesome English teacher!