HuckleBerry
Center for Creative Learning
Andrew Holyfield
Hi everyone! My name is Andrew. I graduated Summa Cum Laude at UC Riverside in 2016, with a B.A. in Creative Writing. While there, I completed the Honors Program, published a thesis, was an editor for both the campus Research Journal and Honors Program literary journal, joined the Writing Program as a Teaching Assistant, and completed three MFA courses, all with a 4.0 GPA.
Tutoring started for me in the campus Writing Program, in which I tutored eighteen students per week. Around that same time, my younger brother, diagnosed with Aspergers, started college. I tutored him during his four-year journey to receive his Paraprofessional Certificate.
Nerdy as it sounds, I love Grammar and read often (in-between Netflix binges). Until my time at UC Riverside, I abhorred reading and preferred the trusty summaries from Spark Notes. I know English and writing can be both challenging and boring, but perhaps all a struggling student needs a little help and positive reinforcement. If that sounds like you or your kid, I'd love to help.
I’m a published songwriter with 20+ years experience in the music industry.
Writing and Literature
Using great novels to fuel our analytical essay writing
Homework: Yes! Homework is REQUIRED in this class. Our writers will need time to both read and to write to become better writers!
Ages: 11-13
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Requirements: Students must be willing to participate in both collaborative work and in sharing their own writing. This class requires discussion, board work, worksheets in grammar & collaboration.
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Note: Essays at HuckleBerry are run through AI generator detection services. Students and parents will be notified if AI generation has been detected.
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This is an English Composition and Reading course for Middle Schoolers looking to build their confidence in writing and reading! Each trimester will be composed of two major writing assignments: A book report and Final Essay.
Students will read a selected novel during the first half of each trimester; we will develop students’ close reading skills by discussing all major thematic, symbolic, and subtextual topics from each novel, along with the chapter-by-chapter plot, so each student can confidently expand upon their analysis in a book report. We will also spend time reviewing grammar, syntax, and the fundamentals of cohesive paragraph writing. Writing assignments will be given prior to the final report to help guide students in their writing and critical analysis.
The Final Essay will vary in form, but all will consistently focus on the five-paragraph structure and in-text citing of sources.
Fall
Novel: The Book Thief (by Markus Zusak)
Essay: Research Paper
Winter
Novel: To Kill A Mockingbird (by Harper Lee)
Essay: Argumentative (with a Thesis)
Spring
Novel: The Lord of the Flies (by William Golding)
Essay: Comparative Essay
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Contact
Andrew Holyfield