🌟🌟Welcome to the home of the Vanstars!🌟🌟
Hi! I’m Mrs. Van, your friendly neighborhood English teacher.
Mrs. Van’s English class began as a result of the virus-that-must-not-be-named, and it continues as a free, live-streamed class that you can watch on YouTube.
🌟Short Story Class
The short story class is where it all began. Visit the Short Story page to see all of the stories listed in order and get links to watch the classes.
🌟Novel Studies
Sometimes we do novel studies, reading a novel over the course of a month. They’ve been terrific reads (most students had not read either of them before this!), and I think you’ll like them, too.
You can read more about the novels and link to the classes here.
🌟Language Arts
Sometimes I do a random class on some aspect of language arts, just for fun.
If you like English class or you know you could benefit from learning more (so you can fall in love with it like me), check out the information on that here.
🌟FAQs
Do I have to watch every class to participate?
Nope. Feel free to pick and choose. There are some references to previous classes, but it’s fine to just watch one. Of course, you will love them and not want to miss ever.
How long do classes last?
About an hour. Some are longer, but they’re usually right around an hour.
Do I have to watch the previous classes to catch up before watching new ones?
No. If you have time and inclination, I’d suggest watching a few of them to get in the groove of how it works and to “meet” some of the other students. You also need to know the hashtag thing we’ve got going on. Well, you don’t *need* to know, but it’s fun.
Do I earn credit for the class?
You get to learn & grow & have a great time. We don’t grant any kind of course credit.Â
Can teachers use them?
Definitely. They make great emergency sub lessons!
How did the class get started?
Well, that’s a very interesting story. You can read all about it (and see pictures of me taken by a Pulitzer-prize winning photographer) here or watch this video about it.
What’s with the hashtags?
Your guess is as good as mine. It started and took on a life of its own. Now we’ve got dozens of ’em, and they’re a thing. No pressure. It’s fun. There aren’t tests or anything. We need a t-shirt that says, “It’s a Vanstar thing.”