High School Classes
Contact Jeanine for specific class times and availability
“Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.”
-William Shakespeare, King Lear
Something for everyone
Today’s high school students have it hard. They are faced with more pressure and competition for college admissions and jobs than any previous generation.
That is why I strive to provide a space where they are free to be themselves and feel genuinely supported in their academic endeavors. Whether they are struggling to understand Macbeth or need help choosing a topic for a research paper, my students are always invited to bring their school English assignments to class to receive suggestions and peer feedback in a non-judgmental, collaborative environment.
In addition to helping high school students prepare for the Reading/Writing sections of the SAT, I provide targeted curriculum for whatever academic path they are pursuing - be it General English, Honors, or AP English.
Learning to write not just better - but faster
Over the past few years, in response to concerns that too many students are relying on AI to write their essays, the majority of middle and high school teachers have begun requiring students to handwrite all of their essays in class. Students are no longer free to leisurely type their essays at home. This has resulted in an increased emphasis on “timed writing,” which even adults struggle with.
As a former journalist, I recognize the importance of knowing how to write on deadline and I am dedicated to imparting this vital skill to my students. There is no shortcut to success - it’s all about practice, practice, practice.
For example, I recently had my Advanced/Honors 9th graders read and discuss two classic texts: the 1923 short story “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty and the 1902 poem “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy. At our next class, they had 45 minutes to write an essay on the prompt: “How do both the story and the poem show the lasting effect of war on soldiers?”
Preparing for the future
Finally, a top goal for my high school students is to help them develop their own unique writing styles and narrative voices, so that when the time comes for them to apply for college, they can write their application essays with confidence, originality, and joy.
I am proud to say that many of my past students have gone on to attend UC Berkeley, UCLA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Johns Hopkins University, Dartmouth College, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Chicago, Rice University, Georgetown University, Boston University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, New York University (NYU), Case Western University, University of Notre Dame, and other top schools.