Blue Tent Reviews Anyone?

[Murrayshire]

My rising 10th grader and I are looking into Blue Tent Honors English 1. She does need more practice in writing and needs the structure of an outside teacher. For those who have taken English 1, will this be okay for 10th grade even though it's listed to begin in 9th? I'm wondering if this class will prepare her for ENG 111 that she is wanting to take for 11th grade through dual enrollment.

 

This year we are using Power in Your Hands and should finish it..... for literature we are working through some World Lit books using a mix of materials.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Update: please see post #26

Edited March 4, 2018 by Murrayshire

[rdj2027]

We like Blue Tent.  The grammar quizzes are quite detailed and feedback on essays is very thorough.  English is by far my son's most time consuming class.  However, his writing has improved not only technically but he goes deeper in his analysis of texts.  He used to try to get by with the least amount of effort that would let him get the grade he wanted.  He quickly learned that Mrs. Proctor sees right through that :001_smile:   She is kind, encouraging but also pushes her students to do better. My son did not take the Intro class (my daughter does) and while the beginning was rough, he is doing well now that he understands the expectations.

[Kalypso]

We found the content and teaching to be excellent, but the workload to be crushing. Not every kid seems to experience it that way, but I know from talking to others that my daughter is not the only one. My daughter ended up exceedingly well prepared for college level English, and found English 101 in DE to be very easy in comparison. She scored an 800 on the English Lit SAT II with no studying and also aced the English sections of the PSAT, and SAT. So, I have no doubt that the class does a wonderful job preparing students. That said, we still struggle with the question of whether we would do it again knowing what we know now, given what the workload took out of her. It made those two years pretty miserable for her, and drastically affected the amount a time she had to work on other subjects. Now, if you have a kid who’s either a quicker worker, or less of a perfectionist, you may have a different experience. There are a LOT of different pieces of the course for the student to juggle, so I would weigh your students ability to manage that, as well. It did have the effect that online college classes have been no adjustment. My dd has yet to take any other class with this many different parts to it as Blue Tent English. I had weeks I was overwhelmed myself when I looked over everything she had to accomplish that week. My dd did really like Mrs Proctor, and wanted to do well in her class.

 

While the teaching at Blue Tent is excellent, I have to agree with the info about the workload. My 10th grader is taking Honors English 2, and he never seems to get a break from it no matter how well he plans. He is doing well in the class, but he, too, is a perfectionist and trying to do well on the discussion posts and the multiple assignments each week has been too much. 

[snowbeltmom]

We found the content and teaching to be excellent, but the workload to be crushing. Not every kid seems to experience it that way, but I know from talking to others that my daughter is not the only one.

This was our experience as well. Excellent teaching, but couldn't devote the necessary hours to the class to get all the work done.

[aaghomeschool]

We will not be signing up given the above reviews which I have read in other threads before this one. I hope the teachers are aware if this. Since they get such excellent reviews for teaching, they should be interested in making the course a better fit for students. But the class seems to fill up quickly so maybe they have enough interested students to just continue the same format. Change requires effort. Thanks OP for starting the thread. Appreciate all the candid reviews to help those of us considering choices to make more informed decisions.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[3andme]

For those who are taking or have taken the course, how much time would you say was required each week?

[SeaConquest]

My dd spent 15-20 hours a week.

 

That is nuts. What do people recommend, in lieu of their courses, with a more reasonable workload?

[rdj2027]

It is hard to say for me.  10 to 15 hours?  Part of that is that my son a) really needs to think hard about his writing from a technical point of view b) Mrs. Proctor assigns specific tasks for each essay and sometimes it is difficult to work those in without rewriting (i.e the student must have a simile, paired adjectives, a gerund...  all at the beginning of a sentence in the body paragraph only).  My son has to pay very close attention to cover all the specifications.  The topics of the essays need thorough arguments ( i.e. In the story "The Necklace" is the main character's poverty due to fate or the decisions she made?.  We can spend hours just discussing that part).  Coming up with a solid thesis statement can be hard, coming up with a hook and coordinated topic sentence even more so.  Mrs. Proctor seems to have a particular interest in transitions between arguments and paragraphs.  It can take my son half a day to come up with a transition that makes his essay flow.  

 

Grammar is another part he spends quite a bit of time on.  While we have covered basic grammar in previous years, I sometimes joke that when he is done with English, he can get a job as an editor.  I never knew just how specific and detailed grammar can get until my kids took Blue Tent English.  

 

Annotating texts takes time because Mrs. Proctor asks for detailed remarks.  Forum posts take time because the students have to give constructive criticism in a positive manner.  Comments like "great job" or some such don't cut it.  It would be more like "You have done a great job pointing  out X by arguing Y" or "You need to change X because of Y and here is a suggestion how to do it."  On days when he is an early poster, it is easier but when you are the last student to post, it can get difficult to say something that has not been mentioned before.

 

We have decided to spend the time on English because it is my daughter's favorite subject and my son's weakest. 

[snowbeltmom]

That is nuts. What do people recommend, in lieu of their courses, with a more reasonable workload?

Fwiw, my son has told me that the Rhetoric sequence he took with WTMA prepared him exceptionally well for the type of writing/reading his college classes require. He also took AP Literature with PAHS, but so far, he has found that the skills he acquired in his rhetoric classes have been the most useful.

[teachermom2834]

It's been a few years but my current senior took Honors English 1 as a 9th grader. He did not spend nearly the time on it others are reporting but he is far from a perfectionist.

 

He did complain about it all.the.time.

 

He did well enough to get low As. He is the kind of kid who will figure out how much energy he needs to expend to get a low A and will not waste any energy trying to get a 100.

 

We went with a co-op class for English the following year or I might have kept him in it. Perhaps that is the kind of kid it is a good fit for- one that will not stress about getting a perfect grade. It was okay for him and did not take all his time. I would never have known the workload was so heavy if others here did not report it.

[sgo95]

My 10th grader is taking H Eng 1 this year and it's been a good fit for her.  She's not a natural writer but she's learning a lot and doing well. She spends around 8 hrs a week on this class and has an A right now. Next year, I've signed her up for H Eng 2 and her younger sister will be taking H Eng 1 in 9th grade because she's a stronger writer. 

 

Edited to add: the 10th grader likes the class and is happy to take the next one in the fall.

Edited March 1, 2018 by sgo95

[Murrayshire]

Well, okay. Thank you ladies! I have already paid the registration fee, but now I’m really dubious about going any further.

 

Dd likes the layout of BlueTent English 1 and expresses her need for structure. I so don’t want her to feel bogged down in one subject. She’ll have a heavier load for 10th, though I also want her to have the experience of having classes that mimic the workload of a community college class so she has a smoother transition for 11th grade.

 

Thank you again for the reviews! Keep ‘em coming!

Edited March 3, 2018 by Murrayshire

[Murrayshire]

My 10th grader is taking H Eng 1 this year and it's been a good fit for her. She's not a natural writer but she's learning a lot and doing well. She spends around 8 hrs a week on this class and has an A right now. Next year, I've signed her up for H Eng 2 and her younger sister will be taking H Eng 1 in 9th grade because she's a stronger writer.

 

Edited to add: the 10th grader likes the class and is happy to take the next one in the fall.

This gives me some relief! Thank you

[Murrayshire]

Though I will spend more money, maybe taking Bravewriter classes for writing and literature will be a better fit.

I just like how BlueTent has all the components of a full English class!

I’ll keep thinking on it.

[Jilly]

My son is taking Honors English 1 this year. He loves so much about the class, the teacher, the format, and the feedback on essays has been wonderful. The downside though is the workload. It is so much work and it has been hard for him to balance this class with everything else. After much debate we have decided not to sign up for Honors English 2 next year.

[RootAnn]

On the topic of alternatives, CLRC has a variety of English and Great Books classes. Wilson Hill's Fundamentals of Expository writing used to be (under previous teacher) a solid, non-Honors English class for 9th grade. (It is listed as 7th-8th, but for an average kid, it was a solid ninth grade class. For any kid who could already write a good paper, it wasn't high school level. With the previous teacher, it was a great class for a kid who was looking at putting together insightful literary analysis papers. I have no idea what the current teacher has done to the class.)

 

Wilson Hill's Fundamentals of Academic Writing is their non-Honors ninth grade class (as in, how they frame it). It is a catch all writing class (no literature component) that is low on our side workload time, but big on in-class writing. It is haphazardly run, but yielded big rewards for my "allergic to the pencil" kid. If your kid can already write well, it isn't worth taking this class.

[JeanM]

It's been a few years but my current senior took Honors English 1 as a 9th grader. He did not spend nearly the time on it others are reporting but he is far from a perfectionist.

 

He did complain about it all.the.time.

 

He did well enough to get low As. He is the kind of kid who will figure out how much energy he needs to expend to get a low A and will not waste any energy trying to get a 100.

 

We went with a co-op class for English the following year or I might have kept him in it. Perhaps that is the kind of kid it is a good fit for- one that will not stress about getting a perfect grade. It was okay for him and did not take all his time. I would never have known the workload was so heavy if others here did not report it.

 

This is pretty much my ds's experience, except he is currently a junior, not a senior. I remember him complaining a lot, but I don't remember it taking a ton of time. He's very fast at things like forum posts. He has taken English at the public school since taking Blue Tent Honors English 1 and has found it easy. I just signed him up for Blue Tent Advanced English next year, and I really hope it works out. The writing feedback he got from Blue Tent was way, way superior to any of the feedback he's gotten at public school.

 

[Dicentra]

Dd has taken Honors Eng 1, Honors Eng 2, and is now taking AP Eng Lang with Blue Tent.  She has loved all the classes and I asked her what her thoughts are on time-spent.  She thought 8-10 hours per week for Eng 1, 10-15 hours per week for Eng 2, and 10-15 for AP Eng Lang sounds about right for what she spent.  She says that she always did her English work first thing in the morning so that she wouldn't get behind and once she established that habit, it worked well.  She also remembers struggling at first in Eng 1 because she was apt to over-write or write too much and to be a perfectionist about it.  Blue Tent has definitely taught her to write more succinctly and to realize that not everything has to be done to absolute perfection all of the time. :)

 

(Full disclosure:  My dd is the teaching assistant for Honors Eng 1 and 2 this year for Blue Tent. :)  She says that if any students are struggling with workload or if any potential students or parents would like to ask her questions, she is more than happy to chat.  If you PM me, I can give you her email address. :) )

[Murrayshire]

Dd has taken Honors Eng 1, Honors Eng 2, and is now taking AP Eng Lang with Blue Tent. She has loved all the classes and I asked her what her thoughts are on time-spent. She thought 8-10 hours per week for Eng 1, 10-15 hours per week for Eng 2, and 10-15 for AP Eng Lang sounds about right for what she spent. She says that she always did her English work first thing in the morning so that she wouldn't get behind and once she established that habit, it worked well. She also remembers struggling at first in Eng 1 because she was apt to over-write or write too much and to be a perfectionist about it. Blue Tent has definitely taught her to write more succinctly and to realize that not everything has to be done to absolute perfection all of the time. :)

 

(Full disclosure: My dd is the teaching assistant for Honors Eng 1 and 2 this year for Blue Tent. :) She says that if any students are struggling with workload or if any potential students or parents would like to ask her questions, she is more than happy to chat. If you PM me, I can give you her email address. :) )

Thank you! I will keep your daughter in mind...... pretty cool that she is assisting!

[London]

Fwiw, my son has told me that the Rhetoric sequence he took with WTMA prepared him exceptionally well for the type of writing/reading his college classes require. He also took AP Literature with PAHS, but so far, he has found that the skills he acquired in his rhetoric classes have been the most useful.

 

Would you mind sharing which Rhetoric classes he took? And how many hours/week did he spend on this? Did you also take English and History with this?

[London]

My son is taking Honors English 1 this year. He loves so much about the class, the teacher, the format, and the feedback on essays has been wonderful. The downside though is the workload. It is so much work and it has been hard for him to balance this class with everything else. After much debate we have decided not to sign up for Honors English 2 next year.

 

What have you decided to sign up for instead?:

[snowbeltmom]

Would you mind sharing which Rhetoric classes he took? And how many hours/week did he spend on this? Did you also take English and History with this?

He took Rhetoric I, II, and III with Thomas Hummel. I would estimate that he spent 1 hour- 90 minutes/weekday the first two years, but probably between 90 to 2 hours per weekday for Rhetoric III. He took AP English Literature with PAHS the same year he took Rhetoric II. I gave 1 credit of English for each Rhetoric class, so his junior year, I awarded him two credits in English. History was home-brewed each year.

My son loved the rhetoric classes - he looked forward to the classroom discussions.

Edited March 4, 2018 by snowbeltmom

[Murrayshire]

Hi Everyone!

 

After reading over the reviews here, I decided to contact Blue Tent about the time commitment for English 1 and I also expressed some concerns that I had. Brigid Thompson and Christine Proctor were extremely responsive and kind. The instructor of English 1, Christine Proctor, sent me a detailed message that basically sealed the deal for us. Dd is excited to have such a supportive and caring teacher.

If anyone is hesitant about signing up for English 1, please read over the email below that Christine Proctor sent to me today. **She has given me permission to share it with the WTM Forum.** I would suggest calling or emailing Blue Tent if you have certain questions/concerns so that they may assist you with particulars. I’m so glad I did!

 

Just to note: I appreciate this forum like you wouldn’t believe.... the reviews, helpful advice, support, and creative ideas that each of you have given over my nine years of homeschooling, is tremendous!

 

See Ms. Proctor’s email below:

 

“Hi, Jana.

 

Thank you so much for reaching out. I ‘d be glad to help however I can.

 

First off, my Honors 1 class will undergo some changes before next semester. We will be switching from Abeka grammar (three to eight pages a day plus quizzes about every two weeks) to Easy Grammar (a page a day, monthly grammar tests), as well as switching from using a text in the literature component (Windows to the World) to using other resources that require less reading. Streamlining the grammar component will cut down on the amount of time a student spends on the class, but how much is more dependent on the student.

When I designed this class, I used my 8th grader at the time as my guinea pig. He spent about an hour to ninety minutes a day, Monday through Friday, on the class, with a little more when writing a paper (he’s a procrastinator). I still use this when parents ask for an estimate. Everything on our reading list is what most would consider “a quick read,†so being bogged down with book after book , reading assignment after reading assignment, was never an issue. Through the years, I’ve had students who spend less then an hour a day on the class (I can tell by looking at their daily logs) to those who spend more. I believe it varies with both the ability and the interest of the student. One year, I had a very bright and accomplished young lady who was spending up to two hours a day on the class, though from talking to her and her mom, we realized it was because she loved it so much, she was reading everyone’s posts, commenting multiple times in forums that only required one comment, scrolling through the glossaries available on the side bars, starting threads in the Tree House forum…..Once her mom set some ground rules with her and knew what was required and what was just extra from me, the young lady streamlined her time spent without losing her enthusiasm. I also remember a young man who was also spending more time than seemed necessary, but struggling with almost every component. Once he realized he could save time by just messaging me to ask for help, it cut down on his frustration and he was able to complete the work more efficiently. I think if the student feels comfortable with me and we establish a good working relationship, the class becomes more like a good friend than an adversary. Learning increases, proficiency increases, the time needed to complete any particular task decreases.

I will not sugarcoat the truth here. This class is challenging. I want it to be challenging. I know I will not be able to please everyone with what I pick and choose to be the best way to grow one’s writing muscles. Some students can fly through my workouts without breaking a sweat. Others sweat tears of frustration. But time and time again, I’ve seen the results, the test scores, the letters from past students reporting how their college writing courses can’t match mine…..Results are the best inspiration, so whenever I feel like cutting something out (hey, less work for the student means less work for me to grade), I remember that it’s the little bit extra I offer, the little bit extra I ask for from my students, that one last rep and one last set and one extra ten-pound weight on the bar that builds and tones and gives my students the confidence they need to walk into a college English class with head held high.

Now that’s not to say that I am unbendable. In fact, I feel I bend over backwards to help my students get the work done. Every year, I work with any parent who feels the need to streamline my class to fit their sons or daughters’ special needs. I have had students opt out of the grammar component if they are already aces at grammar. Or the poetry component if they already know their similes from metaphors and allusions from imagery. I have students who are in full time brick-and-mortar schools who take my class as an extra help. For those, I let them skip this book or that discussion forum when they are bogged down with midterms or other stresses. And then there’s life – sicknesses, family deaths, family weddings, college trips. I seriously keep a spreadsheet to keep track of students and their activities so I can best help them get their work done and still enjoy why they homeschool.

Jana, I think it all comes down to how well we can communicate. You and I. Bella and I. I want my class to be a good experience (and that means a happy experience) for any student who takes it. And I will go to the moon and back to make that possible.

If you would like to talk by phone, I’m available any time. I hope I’ve been able to help make your decision easier. Enjoy your weekend!

 

Warm regards,

Christineâ€

[Dicentra]

Hi Everyone!

 

After reading over the reviews here, I decided to contact Blue Tent about the time commitment for English 1 and I also expressed some concerns that I had. Brigid Thompson and Christine Proctor were extremely responsive and kind. The instructor of English 1, Christine Proctor, sent me a detailed message that basically sealed the deal for us. Dd is excited to have such a supportive and caring teacher.

If anyone is hesitant about signing up for English 1, please read over the email below that Christine Proctor sent to me today. **She has given me permission to share it with the WTM Forum.** I would suggest calling or emailing Blue Tent if you have certain questions/concerns so that they may assist you with particulars. I’m so glad I did!

 

Just to note: I appreciate this forum like you wouldn’t believe.... the reviews, helpful advice, support, and creative ideas that each of you have given over my nine years of homeschooling, is tremendous!

 

See Ms. Proctor’s email below:

 

“Hi, Jana.

 

Thank you so much for reaching out. I ‘d be glad to help however I can.

 

First off, my Honors 1 class will undergo some changes before next semester. We will be switching from Abeka grammar (three to eight pages a day plus quizzes about every two weeks) to Easy Grammar (a page a day, monthly grammar tests), as well as switching from using a text in the literature component (Windows to the World) to using other resources that require less reading. Streamlining the grammar component will cut down on the amount of time a student spends on the class, but how much is more dependent on the student.

When I designed this class, I used my 8th grader at the time as my guinea pig. He spent about an hour to ninety minutes a day, Monday through Friday, on the class, with a little more when writing a paper (he’s a procrastinator). I still use this when parents ask for an estimate. Everything on our reading list is what most would consider “a quick read,†so being bogged down with book after book , reading assignment after reading assignment, was never an issue. Through the years, I’ve had students who spend less then an hour a day on the class (I can tell by looking at their daily logs) to those who spend more. I believe it varies with both the ability and the interest of the student. One year, I had a very bright and accomplished young lady who was spending up to two hours a day on the class, though from talking to her and her mom, we realized it was because she loved it so much, she was reading everyone’s posts, commenting multiple times in forums that only required one comment, scrolling through the glossaries available on the side bars, starting threads in the Tree House forum…..Once her mom set some ground rules with her and knew what was required and what was just extra from me, the young lady streamlined her time spent without losing her enthusiasm. I also remember a young man who was also spending more time than seemed necessary, but struggling with almost every component. Once he realized he could save time by just messaging me to ask for help, it cut down on his frustration and he was able to complete the work more efficiently. I think if the student feels comfortable with me and we establish a good working relationship, the class becomes more like a good friend than an adversary. Learning increases, proficiency increases, the time needed to complete any particular task decreases.

I will not sugarcoat the truth here. This class is challenging. I want it to be challenging. I know I will not be able to please everyone with what I pick and choose to be the best way to grow one’s writing muscles. Some students can fly through my workouts without breaking a sweat. Others sweat tears of frustration. But time and time again, I’ve seen the results, the test scores, the letters from past students reporting how their college writing courses can’t match mine…..Results are the best inspiration, so whenever I feel like cutting something out (hey, less work for the student means less work for me to grade), I remember that it’s the little bit extra I offer, the little bit extra I ask for from my students, that one last rep and one last set and one extra ten-pound weight on the bar that builds and tones and gives my students the confidence they need to walk into a college English class with head held high.

Now that’s not to say that I am unbendable. In fact, I feel I bend over backwards to help my students get the work done. Every year, I work with any parent who feels the need to streamline my class to fit their sons or daughters’ special needs. I have had students opt out of the grammar component if they are already aces at grammar. Or the poetry component if they already know their similes from metaphors and allusions from imagery. I have students who are in full time brick-and-mortar schools who take my class as an extra help. For those, I let them skip this book or that discussion forum when they are bogged down with midterms or other stresses. And then there’s life – sicknesses, family deaths, family weddings, college trips. I seriously keep a spreadsheet to keep track of students and their activities so I can best help them get their work done and still enjoy why they homeschool.

Jana, I think it all comes down to how well we can communicate. You and I. Bella and I. I want my class to be a good experience (and that means a happy experience) for any student who takes it. And I will go to the moon and back to make that possible.

If you would like to talk by phone, I’m available any time. I hope I’ve been able to help make your decision easier. Enjoy your weekend!

 

Warm regards,

Christineâ€

 

That sounds like the Mrs. Proctor that my daughter has come to know and adore. :)  If you like, I can dig up a writing sample from my daughter from before she started with Blue Tent and a sample of what she can do now.  She's also matured in years in that time but I could never, never have gotten her to the point she's at with her writing now.  Mrs. P and Mrs. T are both willing to always put in the extra mile (or 10!).  The courses are challenging but the teacher is right along side the student every step of the way. :)

 

[Murrayshire]

Dicentra, I would LOVE to see those writing samples! Please message me and I’ll send you my email address.

Thanks so much!

[London]

He took Rhetoric I, II, and III with Thomas Hummel. I would estimate that he spent 1 hour- 90 minutes/weekday the first two years, but probably between 90 to 2 hours per weekday for Rhetoric III. He took AP English Language with PAHS the same year he took Rhetoric II. I gave 1 credit of English for each Rhetoric class, so his junior year, I awarded him two credits in English. History was home-brewed each year.

My son loved the rhetoric classes - he looked forward to the classroom discussions.

Is you kiddo a more humanities oriented child or a math/science? 1.5 hours/day seems like quite a bit of time for English, or is it reasonable? I assume you didn't take the literature class - do you think he missed out by not taking a literature class?

 

I really want my kiddo to have an English class that challenges him, but is void of busy work that doesn't add much to the actual learning? Did you son feel that any of the Rhetoric class was busy work? I am struggling between using Bluetent or WTMA.

 

[snowbeltmom]

Is you kiddo a more humanities oriented child or a math/science? 1.5 hours/day seems like quite a bit of time for English, or is it reasonable? I assume you didn't take the literature class - do you think he missed out by not taking a literature class?

 

I really want my kiddo to have an English class that challenges him, but is void of busy work that doesn't add much to the actual learning? Did you son feel that any of the Rhetoric class was busy work? I am struggling between using Bluetent or WTMA.

Yikes, I misspoke in my previous reply: my son took AP English Literature with PAHS the same year he took Rhetoric II at WTMA. (AP English Language would have been redundant and not worthwhile.)

My middle is a math and computer science kid who also loves literature and writing. He didn't feel that there was any busywork in the rhetoric classes or the PAHS Literature class.

[London]

This is a good point - missed that. I really liked the fact that IEW was incorporated into the class. We had such a good experience with the curriculum. Back to the square one again

 

Thanks for sharing that response from Mrs. Proctor. I really wish we’d known she would be willing to adjust expectations for some kids. Even with a serious illness in the middle of one year, my dd had to catch up when she was better. I literally can’t see how anyone could complete the class in an hour a day, so that’s interesting for me to read. For those of you debating, I wonder if she would send you a sample week’s assignment list, so you can evaluate how it might be for your own student. We found Windows to the World to be one of the best parts of the class, but I imagine Mrs Proctor will be able to cover the same concepts just as well herself.

 

[Murrayshire]

-- kand & London-- She may be incorporating "WttW concepts" but just not requiring kids to read from the book.... I would shoot her an email to find out for sure & to inquire about the materials list. They seem pretty accommodating!

[crazyforlatin]

Does anyone know what is on the list of books?

 

I did email Proctor to check on a couple of things and forgot to ask about the book list. She mentioned that there is a lot of annotating in the beginning and to expect 60-90 minutes per day from Monday to Friday with a quiz on Saturday. Three essays for each semester with the first two being one-paragraph essays and the rest being 3-5 paragraph essays culminating in a creative research essay. Apparently annotation is what is most time consuming, but Proctor is planning on changing the number of annotations.

 

Is annotating a skill taught across rigorous online English courses? Just wondering if the amount of time spent on annotating for a grade valuable enough for Dd to spend that much time on it. For comparison, she doesn’t even spend 7-8 hours per week on Lukeion's AP Latin, even during an essay week. Is English Honors at Blue Tent going to raise her writing skill to a level higher than all other online courses or will we end up in the same place if we were to go with, let's say, CLRC Brit Lit which does summaries every other week and 3 essays during the year and just more laid back Composition/Literature classes before AP Language and AP Lit?

 

Eta: found booklist on their site, duh

 

Course Resources

Core Texts:

Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: 180 Daily Teaching Lessons – Grade 10 Student Workbook, Phillips

 

Prose & Poetry, Walch Toolbook Series, Helen Ruth Bass and Diane Morrill

 

The Synonym Finder, Rodale

 

 

 

Reading:

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

 

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson

 

The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom

 

Our Town, Thornton Wilder

 

The Ransom of Red Chief, O. Henry

 

Rip Van Winkle, Washington Irving

 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Marie Boroff translation

 

Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt

 

Class choice

 

​

 

Summer Reading & Creative Assignment:

The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster

Edited March 8, 2018 by crazyforlatin

[Mom22ns]

Is annotating a skill taught across rigorous online English courses? Just wondering if the amount of time spent on annotating for a grade valuable enough for Dd to spend that much time on it. For comparison, she doesn’t even spend 7-8 hours per week on Lukeion's AP Latin, even during an essay week. Is English Honors at Blue Tent going to raise her writing skill to a level higher than all other online courses or will we end up in the same place if we were to go with, let's say, CLRC Brit Lit which does summaries every other week and 3 essays during the year and just more laid back Composition/Literature classes before AP Language and AP Lit?

 

Blue Tent Honors English 2 was a bad fit here. I was hoping it would improve dd's writing, but it didn't. The pace was fast and there was too much [busy] work to have time to really work on improving. She improved more by doing Write at Home for a year (which we combined with some lit to make an English credit). Her DE comp grade after Blue Tent was a B. Her DE comp 2 grade after WAH was a very high A.

Edited March 7, 2018 by Momto2Ns

[London]

I will be honest, I never learned to annotate - it just sounds like busy work. I just want a class that focuses on writing. I am struggling really with finding it.

 

 

 

Does anyone know what is on the list of books?

I did email Proctor to check on a couple of things and forgot to ask about the book list. She mentioned that there is a lot of annotating in the beginning and to expect 60-90 minutes per day from Monday to Friday with a quiz on Saturday. Three essays for each semester with the first two being one-paragraph essays and the rest being 3-5 paragraph essays culminating in a creative research essay. Apparently annotation is what is most time consuming, but Proctor is planning on changing the number of annotations.

 

Edited March 9, 2018 by London

[satellite]

On 3/2/2018 at 2:33 PM, Dicentra said:

Dd has taken Honors Eng 1, Honors Eng 2, and is now taking AP Eng Lang with Blue Tent.  She has loved all the classes and I asked her what her thoughts are on time-spent.  She thought 8-10 hours per week for Eng 1, 10-15 hours per week for Eng 2, and 10-15 for AP Eng Lang sounds about right for what she spent.  She says that she always did her English work first thing in the morning so that she wouldn't get behind and once she established that habit, it worked well.  She also remembers struggling at first in Eng 1 because she was apt to over-write or write too much and to be a perfectionist about it.  Blue Tent has definitely taught her to write more succinctly and to realize that not everything has to be done to absolute perfection all of the time. :)

 

(Full disclosure:  My dd is the teaching assistant for Honors Eng 1 and 2 this year for Blue Tent. :)  She says that if any students are struggling with workload or if any potential students or parents would like to ask her questions, she is more than happy to chat.  If you PM me, I can give you her email address. :) )

Can I pm you about AP Lang?

And, I know who she is! I've gotten feedback from her, because I'm in the Honors English 2 class. (:

[satellite]

I'm a student in Honors English 2.

I often spend about 8 - 10 hours a week, but when there's tests and essays, it can take up to 15. I've never spent 20 hours in a week on that class alone though.

Mrs. Proctor's class is extremely comprehensive and top-notch. My Education Advisor was amazed with Mrs. Proctor's edits on my essays - she really takes her time to critique them. I honestly hated English but while taking this class, I've come to love it (even with the heavy course load).I am beyond fortunate to have her as my teacher. Take her class!!

[Dicentra]

4 hours ago, satellite said:

Can I pm you about AP Lang?

And, I know who she is! I've gotten feedback from her, because I'm in the Honors English 2 class. (:

 

You can absolutely PM me. :)

[BrittiBop16]

Hello everyone,

How did the Honors English 1 class use the Easy Grammar book? Do parents grade, are pages scanned and uploaded, how do the quizzes work, etc? I am considering enrolling my 9th grader, but I'm not at all familiar with Easy Grammar.