My Student Nicknamed "The Little Engine That Can"

My fiancé feels like she hooked up with a rockstar, especially when we spend any amount of time in the town where I teach.

We’re both coffee snobs, so we drive forty minutes out of our way to buy some beans from a roaster that isn’t too far from my school.

Last night we went there to listen to one of my former students play some folk tunes.

It was so nice to see so many of my students after so many years.

During the evening while we caught up and swapped stories, I was reminded of the old adage – you won’t be remembered for what you say but how you make people feel.

I nicknamed Sarah “The Little Engine That Certainly Can If She Gets Out Of Her Way.”

She had such little self-worth, especially as a writer.

As we listened to Jake play Bob Dylan and Paul Simon covers, Sarah recollected how I always boosted her up and would never allow her to defeat herself with her negativity.

She recalled a day early in the year when I worked 1:1 with her during a writing conference.

I refused to give up. It even wasn’t in the cards. I knew that as soon as Sarah grasped my templates, she’d be a slam dunk “5” on the exam.

And she was – she earned a “5” with ease and is now thriving at St. Lawrence University majoring in journalism.

I told Sarah about what I’ve been doing as far as my consulting work, and I asked her to write you all a brief reflection of her time spent learning my templates.

Here’s what she would like to share:

Yes, by all means teach your students how to use Mr. Kuhn’s methods. Writing used to confuse the heck out of me and I never knew how to organize my thoughts on paper. I’ve always been told that I’m articulate and an old soul, but I just couldn’t figure out the writing part of school. Mr. Kuhn (aka the Bob Ross of Composition) has some serious cheat codes up his sleeve. Every single student that gives just one iota of effort can succeed if they learn and practice his templates. They make things so easy. I had Kuhn for Lang. and Lit. and got 5s on both. I think most of my friends did too. I was super prepared for college because of him and I teach all of my hallmates his methods. They’re like magic. Seriously, writing essays is now like shooting fish in a barrel. I get A’s on all my work. Learn from him! He knows what he’s doing!

We have 39 countries represented in my school. We are diverse in every way and we have an open door policy – any student can take AP.

The 2021 exam for both Lang. and Lit. saw a precipitous drop in average scores. A lot of teachers felt like they got gut punched.

My students did great. Every year I am 15-20 percentage points above the national average, and I know it is because of my templates.

I’d love to have you join us for our AP Strategies For Success Two-Hour Intensive on September 11^th. By the end of the session you will have a working knowledge of my templates and will be able to teach your students how to incorporate them into their writing immediately. And for those that would like additional resources, you can get my self-paced course and access to the Masterclass Library if you sign up for the bundle package.

Here’s to the success of your students!

Happy teaching and happy writing!