Natania Cook Reviews
Student (Literature and Composition 8/9) – May 16, 2023
You were a great teacher. I just took a humanities test at the high school I’m going to next year, and I felt very prepared because of your class.
Parent (Literature and Composition 7/8) – May 3, 2023
Natania’s enthusiasm was contagious to our daughter and she loved all the creativity she brought into the class time. Pairing literature styles with the writing assignments was wonderful and really helped my daughter to grow in her understanding of the different ways to write. I thought the coursework was challenging, but overall very good for my student. Natania was an excellent teacher and she worked so well with the class and with our daughter. This course really helped my daughter to grow as a writer. It was very challenging for her along the way, but she’s a stronger writer now, and I know all the knowledge she gained from this class will serve her well. Thank you for all you did for these students!!
Parent (Literature and Composition 8/9) – May 2, 2023
This was a well-rounded class that provided that far exceeded our expectations! The boys enjoyed this class, making literature and writing fun, but challenging enough to expand their minds. She makes literature and writing an enjoyable experience, while also challenging them.
Parent (Literature and Composition 8/9) – May 2, 2023
Mrs. Cook is full of grace and is very creative with her assignments. She goes above and beyond trying to help her students succeed. Her creativity and her care for her students are a great benefit of the course. Just so much gratitude for her and her grace with the students she has. Thank you for making such harrowing works like The Odyssey and Romeo and Juliet fun for your students.
Parent (Literature and Composition 7/8) – May 2, 2023
Ms. Cook is the most amazing literature/comp teacher I have ever encountered! As an educator myself, I know how rare it is to find someone like her who, even after all these years, still teachers with passion and enthusiasm not only for the material but also for her students. The greatest benefits, aside from Ms. Cook herself, are her choices of literature, her engaging assignments and projects, and are willingness to make changes if her students need her to. I cannot wait for my son to take Lit/Comp 8/9 and, hopefully, 9/10 with Ms. Cook.
Student (Literature and Composition 9/10) – April 24, 2023
I enjoy English in general and I think Mrs. Cook did a really good job helping us think through our literature selections very deeply. This class was interesting and very stretching. My papers grew VASTLY from the beginning to the end of the year. It was interesting material and helped me think through books that I wouldn’t have been able to evaluate on my own. It was good to have an English teacher that I could go to with my questions as opposed to just going through an English course on my own without an educated instructor.
Parent (Literature and Composition 9/10) – April 19, 2023
Teacher is excellent and my son is fully engaged with the literature chosen. She’s incredibly nice, knowledgeable and provides great feedback. We have been thrilled with Ms. Cook for both classes we’ve taken.
Parent (Literature and Composition 8/9) – April 19, 2023
My daughter loves this class and teacher. She is learning so much. She was not motivated by writing or reading and now I see her with a book in her hand reading hard books. She is also writing all kinds of papers and getting really good grades. Natania is very encouraging to my daughter. She also explains all the assignments very clearly and the lessons are thought provoking and organized. My daughter actually is held accountable for getting her lessons in on time and is very motivated to do well. My daughter really enjoyed the class and has asked to do the next class. She says her teacher is very nice, you can communicate with her and she is understanding. The course work is very challenging but doable.
Parent (Literature and Composition 7/8) – April 17, 2023
Mrs. Cook runs an incredibly well- organized and FUN class time. Even over zoom, she manages to create a warm atmosphere where students feel comfortable discussing their thoughts and ideas. She is also extremely responsive and available to help students whenever needed. This course exceeded our expectations for quality of assignments, just the right amount of challenge, valuable class time, variety of assignments, kindness, knowledge, and accessibility of teacher.
Parent (Language Arts Lab 7/8 & Literature and Composition 7/8) – January 18, 2023
There is more instruction and enrichment in the lab than I expected and I’m delighted. My son feels he gets needed help in lab. We signed up for the second semester, based on the value of the first. The class and the teacher help my son focus on writing, something he had avoided for years. Very valuable! I have recommended her courses frequently to parents looking for strong Language Arts instruction.
Parent (Language Arts Lab 8/9 & Literature and Composition 8/9) – December 20, 2022
My son received a lot of individualized help when needed and has really enjoyed both his English class and the additional writing lab. He finds the teacher friendly, knowledgeable and always willing to help.
Parent (Literature and Composition 6/7) – September 22, 2022
The discussions about literature, how compositions are structured and the emphasis on writing are fantastic benefits. The literature work on Thursdays has been quite beneficial and probably where my child has learned the most.
Parent (Literature and Composition 7/8) – September 21, 2022
Mrs. Cook creates a stellar classroom environment. It feels more like an in-person class rather than a virtual class. The students waste no time passively listening to a teacher lecture, but rather they spend the entire class with their brains turned on, interacting with each other, and thinking deeply. I truly couldn’t have asked for a better online class for my son. I also feel like Mrs. Cook is trying to get to know her students on a personal level. She speaks kindly and patiently and seems very approachable. She seems gifted at creating a warm classroom community, and I am excited to see how the rapport between the students grows throughout the year.
Parent (Literature and Composition 9/10) – September 20, 2022
One of the greatest benefits of this class/teacher has been to encourage the kids to interact in many varied ways with the material.
Student (Literature and Composition 8/9) – September 20, 2022
I think that the discussions are the best part of this class. It benefits me to see other people points of view and understand where they are coming from.
Parent (Literature and Composition 9/10) – September 20, 2022
[Mrs. Cook] is very detailed in her description and in how she explains things. She makes sure each student understands what they’re doing.
Student (Literature and Composition 8/9) – April 1, 2022
English is my favorite subject, but I was able to learn a lot about things I didn’t even know existed. Nothing was too foreign, but some things were definitely new to me. The class was very interesting, and highly engaging. We read all sorts of great classics, and then spent time analyzing them. The greatest benefits of the class was good reads, and projects that encourage creativity. My favorite assignment was creating my own sonnet, and then getting to share it with the class.
Student (Literature and Composition 7/8) – March 28, 2022
I think that the class is very good, and I have learned a lot. I think that the online class on zoom is engaging and the discussions are great. I really like the writing conferences, and the time taken to individually talk to each of the students.
Parent (Literature and Composition 8/9) – March 25, 2022
Dialectic journals, literary analyses, thoughtful compare/contrast analyses of books vs. movies, as well as the basics of grammar, mechanics, vocabulary are just a few of the concepts they have covered! From writing dactylic hexameter poetry to reciting scenes from Romeo and Juliet, to creating a first person account travel scrapbook of the Odyssey, the creativity of her assignments was impressive. The diversity of her literature and sources is also to be commended. She effortlessly exposed them to The Pearl and HG Wells as well as Dead Poets Society and The Interlopers. I was impressed with the breadth of ideas and concepts in which she exposed the students.
I also loved that she did not give “busy work”. For example, instead of asking for book reports, she had “book talks” where she and the student discussed the book! As someone who is a part of 2 book clubs, I love this idea so much better than the busy work of a bland book report!
In addition to what I stated above, her organization is IMPECCABLE! I’ve never encountered a more organized Canvas with daily assignments and detailed instructions. Her weekly wrap up emails are extremely thorough. Not only are they a great review of what was covered for the student, but they give the parent an understanding of what the students are covering each week. This is helpful in general but especially as a homeschooler for documentation. (I’ve been homeschooling for over a decade!)
Christina B. – Parent of a Middle School Student
Plainly put, I cannot recommend Mrs. Cook enough. Her classes are a perfect balance of challenging material and good old fashioned nurturing. She takes pains to check in with each student, inquiring as to their well-being and continually reminding them that she is always available if they should need help, academic or otherwise. Always approachable, Mrs. Cook has proven very helpful to my middle schooler who has struggled with developing the discipline necessary to manage her time. Not being let off the hook, but given opportunities to continually improve, my student is not only learning solid educational material, but also that a whole education includes how one matures during the process. After two years with Mrs. Cook, my student could not be more proud or feel more accomplished from what she has gained from learning under Mrs. Cook.
Alexandra B. (Middle School English Class 7/8)
Mrs. Cook has been a fun and outstanding teacher to have. She is very patient, kind, and will work with you and help you through anything. Whenever I have a question that I need to ask Mrs. Cook about, she always responds very quickly and is extremely helpful. I have had Mrs. Cook as my teacher for two years now, both in person and online, and I can say without a doubt she has been so much fun to have. From having “snowball fights” with one another as a classroom writing exercise, to going on Internet scavenger hunts, Mrs. Cook always comes up with a fun way to learn something almost every day, and I’m so glad to be in her class.
Jacqueline (PowerPoint Picassos Class, 6th grader)
I love having Mrs. Cook as my teacher because she always makes classes fun and engaging, and she is always there to help her students. PowerPoint is really fun because we learn many different things and do many different cool and fun projects.
Deshi (7th grade), Middle School English
Mrs. Cook is a great teacher! This is my second year to be in her class. She is good at keeping students up-to-date with all of our homework. This year, our class has been online, and she is always available to help me when I have a question. Mrs. Cook definitely makes sure I understand everything.
Beck (7th grade), Middle School English
Mrs. Cook is a wonderful teacher. She is always prepared and ready to answer any question that I have during class and with homework. She is very thorough with her instructions, assignments, and emails. Also, when she grades my work she gives great feedback. She is always joyful and ready to help. I am so glad that she is my teacher.
Natalie F. (parent)
Natania Cook is an excellent and dedicated teacher. She is a valuable partner in the education of my middle school students, and she is so joyful, patient, and supportive with them. Whether the class meets in person or online, her level of instruction and engagement is always superior. Mrs. Cook is very gifted at keeping her class challenging and engaging through a variety of lessons and activities that improve communication, writing, and reading skills.