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Professor Brown is the Master Writing Instructor.Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA (aka author Erin Brown Conroy/EB Conroy) is the creator of the Aquinas Writing Advantage program and is the Curriculum Director and Marketing Manager for Homeschool Connections. She is the author of nine books (children’s, fiction, and nonfiction, including Simplified Writing 101: Top Secrets for College Writing Success); has been a professional author, writer, and editor for 20+ years; and was a university professor for 20 years.
Erin's education and curriculum experience includes designing the curriculum and teaching for Patrick Henry College (writing and research); teaching at Cornerstone University (multiple writing courses, interpersonal communication, management and leadership, and critical thinking); and leading the Communications Content Development in General Education (writing, communications, and critical thinking) for Western Governors University. For 20+ years, Erin has developed online and on-the-ground curriculum for elementary school students, middle and high school students, and adults.
Erin writes non-fiction and fiction books; is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), the Romance Writers of America (RWA), and the Author’s Guild (AG); and also writes for television. For younger readers, Erin developed the True North Reading: The Complete Mastery Reading and Spelling Program™, a multi-sensory how-to-read program for children. Erin has been quoted in hundreds of print publications such as Parents and Parenting magazines; the Chicago Tribune and Dallas Morning News; and websites such as geoparent.com, iparenting.com, and familyresource.com.
Erin has a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing/Genre Fiction from Western Colorado University, and a Master of Arts (MA) in Rehabilitation and Bachelor of Music (BM) in Education from Western Michigan University. Erin homeschooled 10 children and lives in Michigan.
Professor Erin Brown Conroy teaches the following courses:
(Click on hyperlinked titles to view a video about the course.)
Science: Health, Fitness, and Wellness for Middle School Students
Test Prep: SAT Test Prep
Test Prep: ACT Test Prep
Test Prep: SAT/ACT English and Writing Test Prep
Life Skills: Microsoft Word I
Life Skills: Leadership and Interpersonal Communications Skills
Life Skills: How to Be an Excellent Student: Note Taking, Test Taking, and Getting an A+
Writing: Middle School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
Writing: High School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
Writing: Middle School Essential Writing 2: Sentences and Paragraphs
Writing: High School Essential Writing 2: Paragraphs and Essay Test Writing
Writing: Middle School Simplified Writing 1
Writing: High School Simplified Writing 1
Writing: Fiction Writing; Plot and Structure
Writing: Fiction Writing; Description and Setting
Writing: Fiction Writing; Characters and Dialogue
Writing: Fiction Writing: Theme, Style, and Point of View
Writing: Fiction Writing; Conflict and Creating the Breakout Novel
Writing: Fiction Writing: Authoring a Book: What it Takes and How to Succeed
Writing: Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers
Writing: Vocabulary and Writing, Parts One and Two
Writing: Middle School Simplified Writing II: Essays and Papers
Writing: Simplified Writing 2: Rhetoric, Essays, and Papers
Writing: Simplified Writing 3: Research Writing (College Preparatory)
Student testimonials:
"Thank you so much for being such an amazing teacher and dedicating your time to helping students become great writers!"
"I really enjoy the way she explains things; she is keeping my love for writing and grammar extremely strong."
"I'm taking your fiction writing course on Homeschool Connections, and I've taken other courses that you've taught, and I wanted to say thank you. I very much enjoy your classes. It's gotten me to start writing again. I no longer feel like writing is something I have to do, and I look forward to the time I've set aside to write. Thank you so much!"
"I just wanted to tell you that before I had teacher access, I used to take your classes recorded and they have always made my day -- and been the only class I ever look forward to taking! You have made more of an impact on my writing than anybody ever has, you have given me an understanding about things that I struggled with and most importantly you have made me a better person! I just really wanted to say thank you! "
"I would like to thank you for the Hero’s Journey Class. It has helped me figure out so much of my story. I feel like it's coming together, shaping right before my eyes. Thank you, thank you so much!"
"I wish we would have started using HSC sooner than my senior year! I keep urging my homeschool friends to use it, and I highly recommend you to them :)."
"Erin Brown Conroy is the best, she makes everything fun and you can tell she loves what she does!!!"
Parent testimonials:"Our daughter took every single one of the courses at Aquinas Writing Advantage, the program created by Erin Brown, MA, MFA (also known as author Erin Brown Conroy/EB Conroy) -- including every course in story development and fiction writing. It's clear, our daughter not only fell in love with writing -- but she also gained so many skills, as she is now a published author with Morgan James Publishing, one of the largest publishing houses in the US! Her first book, The Winter Elf, is a children’s novella and allegorical fantasy that can be read by families and individuals at children's hospitals, cancer wards, and counseling centers, to understand the importance of embracing and sharing pain and loss and to move forward toward healing. We're thrilled that the writing courses here have helped our daughter become a published author with a story that makes a difference!" -- Rachel McCluskey, parent"
"I want to pay you a compliment. My older son Michael took your series of high school writing classes that were recorded. For one of them, we paid a grader as well. He finished his first college English class this semester, and he not only got an A on every assignment, but he was also the only student in the class who was not required to complete separate grammar exercises. When comparing his college professor and you, Michael said, 'Professor Conroy is tougher!' Well done! Thank you."
"This past year, [my son] (and I) took every middle school English class you taught, as well as your student improvement classes. I would lie on the bed, with my afternoon tea, and enjoy listening to you as [my son] took your classes. Thank you for your beautiful way of teaching, your kind heart, and your sincere prayers at the beginning of each class. You have helped my son tremendously with your excellent content and teaching style. May God bless you for all you do. We look forward to taking your high school classes next year." -- Debbie C."This course has been wonderful and [my son] has learned so much. Thank you for putting time and energy into teaching these classes!"
"I have to tell you how much I'm enjoying your class. [My son] 'attends' class on his own, but I've been watching the recordings both because the information interests me and so that I can help my son implement what he's learning. I don't think my son realizes how beneficial and necessary these things are, but I'm hoping that when we work together to implement these practices in our home school day, he'll become an enthusiastic believer!"
"I do want to share with you that our daughter Julia, when asked what she wanted for Christmas (I hand everyone an index card and ask them to fill in 10 items – with no hope of getting any or all of them…haha)…She filled out her card with the saying that all she wanted was to be able to take the Advanced Fiction Class part two…she did not want or need anything else! She has blossomed so much from taking these classes from Erin. Her eagerness for learning the craft, her ability to edit her work and others in the family, her desire to read with a critical eye, all stem from these creative writing classes. Thank you and thank Erin!"
"Tonight, I saw a great breakthrough in my son that gave me much joy as a mother. My son and a friend had to create a flyer, and the friend wrote most of the page. Afterwards at home, when I asked my son what he thought of the writing, he didn't say anything flattering about it! Lol! We sat together to rewrite the page. When we were done, I asked my son what he thought of the rewrite. He told me that it was fantastic and proceeded to give his reasons which included an excellent hook, a claim, supporting reasons for the claim, linear writing, good vocabulary and that we took out all those pronouns! I just had to share this with you because without your help, my son wouldn’t be where he is. He is building structure in both his mind and his writing. It was so cool to see him apply these skills to real life tonight! God bless you, Angela (parent, 2019)