WRITE RIGHT WITH MRS. WHITE
Writing Classes
for Home Schoolers
Ages 14 and up
. . . . . . .
Preparing students for
college and for life
Registration Form
Parent Copy:
Important information, supply list, & syllabi
Terri White is the founder of
the local home school support group in Cleburne, Texas,
and home schooled her three children from
1983-99. The White's children are grown and married, and they have several
grandchildren. A 1972 magna cum laude graduate from the University of
Wisconsin, Terri has written three books: Good News Bible Study,
Successful Home Schooling, and Write Right with Mrs. White. As a graduate
of "Leadership Cleburne," Terri currently is on the Board of
Directors for East Cleburne Community Center, a nonprofit organization
that works with at-risk youth and adults.
If
you live in or near Cleburne, Texas, contact Terri at
composition@charter.net
to enroll your student.
Composition One lays the
foundation for all writing. Students will practice the essentials of good
writing in various genres. They will learn a step-by-step approach to
writing effectively that takes the mystery and frustration out of the
process. Class instruction includes lectures, group brainstorming and
writing, group interaction, drama, and hands-on practice. By the time
students complete this class, they will be prepared to move forward in
more advanced writing skills. Prerequisite: Grammar
Composition Two picks up where
Composition One stops. The five paragraph essay is thoroughly mastered in
all genres. More sophisticated writing tools are introduced to bring depth
and maturity to their writing. Students also learn to brainstorm, write,
and revise more quickly to prepare them for college. Class instruction
includes lectures, group brainstorming and writing, group interaction,
drama, and hands-on practice. Prerequisite: Composition One (Exceptions
are made on an individual basis.)
Composition Three is an
in-depth course preparing students for college level work. Students will
practice, practice, practice in class to master skills. They write a
personal essay, research paper, timed essays, and learn advanced
techniques. Anyone completing this course is prepared to CLEP out of
College Composition and to take the SAT/ACT essay exam. Prerequisite:
Composition II & a working knowledge of outlining.
STUDENT & PARENT TESTIMONIES
"Before I took
Mrs. White's class, I hated writing. I would sit there and stare of into
space... It was torture. Mrs. White teaches you how to write by
breaking it down. Now I actually like writing; it doesn't stress me out."
~ Justin 2010
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"I have good news, Mrs. White: I received my acceptance letter from
DBU
on Monday! So I just wanted to let you know that I will be a "Patriot" in
the fall. But the big news I thought you would be interested in is that --
thanks ONLY to your classes -- I CLEPed out of Freshman English 1301.
Should my accomplishment be recorded in the "Mrs. White's Student Hall of
Fame?" I don't think so; but for me, it is a huge relief - my fall
semester is English free! THANK YOU, MRS. WHITE!!" ~Bethany B.,
2007
Now Bethany B.
is a junior in college at Texas Tech and writes: "You were one the best
teachers I have ever had. I don't know if I told you, but I
CLEPed out of all the rest of my English courses!" ~2009
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"Thank you,
thank you, thank you for all the effort you invested in me. I would be
completely sunk if I hadn't taken your composition classes. Now [in
college], I am actually the 'go to girl' if anyone needs help making their
papers more interesting." ~Helen A.
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"You are a
marvelous teacher, Mrs. White. Thank you for tolerating my
perfectionism and slowness over the past two years. Because of you,
my writing skills have improved tremendously - now I enjoy writing."
~Cheyenne H.
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"Next fall I will
be attending the Honors College at Texas A&M University - Commerce.
Because they require strong writing skills in this program, three years of
your composition classes have prepared me for academic success.
Thank you for equipping me to reach my goals." ~ Hana H.
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"I love being in
your class because you make writing fun and interesting. I'm looking
forward to next year!"
~ Mary B.
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"I really enjoy
your class! I have become a much better writer because of you, but I know
that I still have much to learn. Thank you for being such a great
teacher." ~Michala D.
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"I just wanted
to say thank you for teaching Justin. It has been the best class he
has taken to date. Three years ago, writing a strong,
well-structured sentence was like climbing Mt. Everest. Now he
writes five page research papers. He has come so far in his writing skills
- from loathing a writing assignment to having
a positive attitude and confidence in the writing skills that he has
learned. He has also learned the benefits of
perseverance!" ~ Cheryl N."
Student Essay
(Composition 2)
My Composition
3 class of 2008 wrote a "mock essay" patterned after author Patrick
McManus' story "Get Lost."
www.mcmanusbooks.com/ We forwarded the essay to Mr. McManus
and he replied below. After his letter, I have included the
Composition 3 essay my students wrote entitled "Get Stupid."
~Terri White
Dear Ms. White,
I thought the “Get Stupid”
essay was excellent. Hana, Thomas, & Hannah have hit upon a
technique I used with one of my very first published pieces. As you
no doubt know, it’s the Reversal. Nancy Davidson, then the
Northwest editor of Sunset Magazine, told me about it. I think I
was still in college at the time and it was a great revelation to
me. Over the years, rather than use the wise old man who sets a
high standard for youngsters, I used an ignorant old man who set a
low standard, Rancid Crabtree. Where others write about how to get
found, I write about how to get lost. Where others write about the
greatest dog in the world, I write about the worst, Strange. Here
your students are still in high school and they write about the
advantages of being dumb, a perfect reversal. They are off to a
great start, due, I suspect, to the talents of their teacher.
Best
regards,
Pat
McManus
GET STUPID
by Hana Huff, Thomas Huff, &
Hannah Stewart
April 2008
Much
has been written to help dummies -- Mac for dummies, sewing for
dummies, boiling water for dummies -- but how do you obtain the
state of stupidity and uphold the noble title of stupid?
I discovered
early in life that I had a natural talent for demonstrating stupidity, a
talent that through practice and discipline I honed to a sharp edge. By my
senior year of high school, I had so stupefied my teachers that they awarded
me, on graduation night, the "Wayatoodense Achievement Award" -- the first
and last of its kind. It always captures the attention of prospective
employers as they decipher my resume.
I guess it
worked. For the past ten years, I have toiled in the Research Department of
Pierre Plastic Palms. Pierre, South Dakota, is renown for its palms. As
maintenance engineer for the company, I have been cogitating the palm's
ability to sustain their polished green appearance with such an appalling
lack of H2O.
On my lunch
breaks, I took it upon myself to covertly research this phenomenon. I
volunteered to dispose of my colleagues' beverages. Instead of delivering
them to the nearest trash receptacle, I offered them to the palms. Over the
next few weeks, the trees sampled water, coffee, Propel, Red Bull, Gatorade,
Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke, Sprite, pomegranate juice, apple juice, and even
Monster energy drinks. But it wasn't until I tried green tea that my labors
bore fruit. My co-worker, A. Choo, suddenly ceased his sniffling and
sneezing. Mr. Hacker, after passing the palm, terminated his consistent
cough. Eureka! I had found the cure for the common cold: green tea
extract, palm bark, and faux Spanish moss with just a hint of floral foam.
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