American Literature and Composition
Course option: Live
Grades: 10th-12th | Successful completion of English 1
Course dates: August 24, 2026 - May 7, 2027
Course length: Traditional, full year
Live Sessions - attendance required: Tuesdays | 12-1:15 pm Eastern
Course size: 12-15 students
Instructor: Tara Limoco
Cost: $749
More about Tara Limoco
When she was a child, Tara’s mother often scolded her to “put down that book and go outside!” Tara’s love of reading started very early, from reciting preschool nursery rhymes, to devouring book after book during summer afternoons, to making the public library her sanctuary as a teen. All that reading, plus the encouragement and support of a few special teachers along the way, led to an equally strong love of writing and eventually a desire to inspire a love of the written word in others.
Tara graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Education, with certifications in English language arts, drama, and speech for middle and high school levels, as well as kindergarten through twelfth grade reading. She taught English in rural, urban, and suburban schools, coached a high school speech team, and, as part of a team of dedicated educators, wrote and executed the charter for a residential facility for special needs students.
Working on a school charter with this group of educators proved to be the most meaningful education experience of her career, as they learned from and leaned on each other in the complex, arduous process of building a school from scratch--creating a vision and mission; planning curriculum, schedules, and procedures; connecting with a unique population of students; and finding ways to ignite excitement in learners who had never experienced it before.
Tara eventually left the classroom for an even more exciting adventure– homeschooling her three children. She and her children grew alongside each other, explored their interests, followed their curiosity, and practiced learning as an active, cooperative process. School was not limited to reading, writing, and math. They made gallons of maple syrup in their backyard, created art in a variety of media, explored the historical, scientific, and cultural sites of their region, grew a garden, started a student-run baking business, and enjoyed countless other experiences together.
In addition to these teaching experiences, Tara taught language arts, cooking, art and book club for a homeschool co-op, tutored reading, writing, and math, and test prep, and was a contributing writer for the Cincinnati Moms Collective blog. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking–especially sourdough bread, gardening, West Coast Swing dancing, painting, writing, and of course, lots of reading.
Tara believes that words and the stories they create, whether real or imagined, hold great power. Parts of the world and human experience become available to us through reading and writing that would not be otherwise. Reading, writing, and communication are the greatest tools for connection available to us. For Tara, the joy of teaching is in facilitating these discoveries and connections, opening the world to her students.