The Essential Classroom

About the Writers’ Workshops

In The Essential Classroom, I help students of all ages become confident, skilled readers and writers through personalized, results-driven workshops and tutoring.

With nearly two decades as a New York State-certified teacher in history and special education, advanced Harvard training in culturally responsive literacy instruction, and extensive experience creating curriculum, organizing and editing school newspapers, literary magazines, and leading writers’ workshops from elementary through adult learners, I specialize in making literacy accessible and empowering for every learner — including those with diverse learning needs.

My workshops and 1:1 tutoring focus on building deep comprehension, strong written expression, and the exact skills students need for success on ELA elementary and middle school state exams, H.S Regents exams, and college application essays.

Sessions are small-group (4–8 students) or individualized, highly interactive, and differentiated so every participant makes measurable progress.

Elementary Writers’ Workshops (Grades 3–5)

5-Week ELA State Test Preparation Series

Designed specifically for New York State Next Generation ELA assessments, this engaging 5-week workshop builds the foundational skills tested in Grades 3–5 ELA exams. Students learn to read closely, annotate texts, make inferences, understand text structure and author’s craft, and write clear, evidence-based responses.

What the 5-week series focuses on:

• Week 1: Close reading and active annotation strategies (Key Ideas & Details).
• Week 2: Making inferences and using context clues for vocabulary.
• Week 3: Text structure, point of view, and how authors craft meaning.
• Week 4: Writing from texts using the RACE strategy (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain) for short constructed responses.
• Week 5: Test-taking strategies, full mock test practice, reflection, and celebration of growth.

Each 90 minute session includes explicit mini-lessons, guided practice with released NYS-style passages (fiction, nonfiction, and paired texts), independent application, peer feedback, and short writing practice.

Students leave with stronger comprehension, organized writing habits, and greater confidence for state testing.

Pricing for Elementary 5-Week Series: $220 per student (includes all materials and practice passages).

Middle School Writers’ Workshops (Grades 6–8)

Focused on bridging elementary skills to the increased demands of middle school ELA and preparing for the shift toward high school Regents-level work. Emphasis is on deeper analysis, citing strong textual evidence, summarizing complex texts, understanding theme development, and producing well-organized responses to literature and informational texts.

Workshops strengthen reading comprehension, vocabulary in context, and evidence-based writing while incorporating strategies for content-area reading (especially Social Studies). Students practice with grade-appropriate passages and begin building stamina for longer written responses.

Pricing for Middle School Workshops (4 or 8 weeks):

• 4-week series: $240 per student
• 8-week series: $460 per student

High School Writers’ Workshops (Grades 9–12)

ELA Regents & Social Studies Regents Preparation + College Essay Workshop

These workshops target the specific demands of the New York State Regents Examination in English Language Arts (Parts 1: Reading Comprehension with 24 multiple-choice questions; Part 2: Source-based Argument Essay; Part 3: Text-Analysis Response) and

Social Studies Regents (document-based questions, thematic essays, and constructed responses).

Students practice close reading of literary and informational texts, crafting argument essays using multiple sources, and writing analytical responses that identify central ideas and explain author techniques. Social Studies support includes analyzing historical documents, connecting themes across time periods, and writing evidence-based essays.

The College Essay Preparation component helps juniors and seniors brainstorm, draft, and revise powerful personal statements and supplemental essays for college applications.

We cover Common App-style prompts, finding your unique voice, structuring compelling narratives, and polishing for clarity and impact.

Pricing for High School Workshops (4 or 8 weeks):

• 4-week series (Regents-focused or College Essay): $280 per student
• 8-week series: $540 per student