Creative Writing is open to all students in grades 9-12. Creative Writing Workshop, the second year of the course, is open to any student who was successful in Creative Writing and wishes to deepen his/her relationship with writing. While they are academic electives, they are also open to all ability levels (Special Education, General, College Prep. B, College Prep. A, Honors, and AP). I usually have most of these levels represented in each class, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I am also amazed at the diversity of students on another, less school-sanctioned level: the class attracts track runners, student council representatives, football players, community service enthusiasts, artists, actors, the technologically inclined, the technologically dis-inclined, class presidents, students who exist under the radar of popularity, academic whizzes, awful spellers, and everyone in between. I think this diversity speaks to an important idea: contrary to popular belief, kids like to write. In a high school where they could opt to take any number of interesting electives, so many of them choose to explore the written word.
I few years ago, I had a student for two years in a row (when she was a freshman and a sophomore). The first year, I caught her cheating at least three times. The second year, though the cheating stopped, she consistently earned Ds in my American Literature class. She rarely completed homework, was an atrocious speller, and was much more concerned with improving her skills as an athlete than as a student. She was a relatively constant source of frustration for me. Imagine my surprise when, before her senior year, her name showed up on my Creative Writing roster. Throughout our time together in this forum, she emerged in a way that I never would have imagined, developing into one of the best student writers I have ever had - in terms of growth, openness, and sensitivity (all qualities that, from my perspective, matter most). Below are some lines from two of her poems, published in our literary magazine:
...Acoustic chords strum in darkness,
friendships glide to love,
Autumn's poetry ends in stillness,
and the deep sea gathers stars in its waves...
***************************
I am from the front door swinging open:
two steps - a leap,
and little legs off racing
through early-morning dew.
I am from sopping wet:
from shoes and blue jeans left outside
to dry on the deck...
Those frogs didn't stand a chance...
I am from weeping willows -
the enchanted forest of my backyard
where the trees were warped, silent sentinels...
hiding secrets of childhood...
***************************
I think this student made me realize - as so many before her had and so many after her will - that our students are never just one thing, that they are never just the first layer that we happen to notice, that they embody such great possibility. Sometimes, they just need the proper environment in which to tap into it. I think that creative writing allows students from all different backgrounds, students will all different ability levels (academic, social, and otherwise), to explore their own voices and those of others in a way that heightens their sensitivity to and their awareness of the worlds around them and within them.
Which students are involved in your creative writing program? Is it open to everyone? Is there a wide variety of participants?
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Assessment
FAQ: How do you "grade" poems and short stories from writers who have such divergent ability levels?
My response: First of all, I try very hard to steer my class mentality away from a reliance on the almighty and ever-powerful GRADE. In the adult world, we are not given As and Bs and Cs; our motivation to do our jobs well must come from within. Similarly, a young person's desire to grow in his/her writing and be an engaged member of a creative writing class should not (cannot?) come merely from a "good grade." Soo, are you ready for a very controversial statement? Here it comes...
I do not "grade" my students' work.
There. I said it. Now, before you start to jump to a million crazy conclusions about me and my abilities as an educator, please allow me to explain.
When students hand in final drafts, I write a copious amount of comments and suggestions on their work. I give them positive feedback, but also, provide a critical response: how can they bring the reader closer, are they using effective diction, have they titled their work, is their work rich in imagery and detail, etc. Students never find an "A" or a "D" on their writing, but they do find a wealth of input. This, to me, is much more meaningful for all parties involved.
Obviously, I keep track of who is handing in what: if Joan has not handed in the last two assignments, my gradebook clearly reflects this fact. Similarly, if Tom has handed in the last five final drafts, typed, and neatly organized, that is recorded also.
Prior to progress reports (about three weeks into each marking period), I have each student in my class complete a self-assessment. The actual format I use for Creative Writing is as follows:
Completion of in-class work ______/100
Completion of homework (journals, rough drafts, add’l assignments) ______/100
Final drafts handed in (on time) /quality of final drafts (typed, neatly organized) ______/100
On-task/appropriate classroom behavior ______/100
Respectful attitude to peers and teacher ______/100
Productivity in a pair/group ______/100
Overall participation (reading, discussion, peer review, etc.) ______/100
Effort and accountability ______/100
Overall quality of classroom performance______/100
Willingness to grow ______/100
Your total points ______/1000
(I also include a section for students to offer additional comments or input relevant to their classroom performance.)
Students assess themselves on the above criteria, which speak not only to the work they hand in, but their presence in a writing environment: are they being productive in a group setting? Are they being respectful of their peers? Are they participating in a variety of ways?
Nine times out of ten, students are *incredibly* honest and accurate in their evaluations. Ultimately, I have the final say regarding the averages, but I rarely come up with figures that differ greatly from their own thoughts on the subject.
Before marking period averages are due, I go back into my computer gradebook and make any necessary changes and updates.
So far, this system has worked very well and, I believe, has encouraged my students to focus more on their entire classroom presence and their intrinsic motivation to do well.
How do you assess your students' work? I am interested in your feedback!
Stay tuned for my next topic: Which students take Creative Writing?
My response: First of all, I try very hard to steer my class mentality away from a reliance on the almighty and ever-powerful GRADE. In the adult world, we are not given As and Bs and Cs; our motivation to do our jobs well must come from within. Similarly, a young person's desire to grow in his/her writing and be an engaged member of a creative writing class should not (cannot?) come merely from a "good grade." Soo, are you ready for a very controversial statement? Here it comes...
I do not "grade" my students' work.
There. I said it. Now, before you start to jump to a million crazy conclusions about me and my abilities as an educator, please allow me to explain.
When students hand in final drafts, I write a copious amount of comments and suggestions on their work. I give them positive feedback, but also, provide a critical response: how can they bring the reader closer, are they using effective diction, have they titled their work, is their work rich in imagery and detail, etc. Students never find an "A" or a "D" on their writing, but they do find a wealth of input. This, to me, is much more meaningful for all parties involved.
Obviously, I keep track of who is handing in what: if Joan has not handed in the last two assignments, my gradebook clearly reflects this fact. Similarly, if Tom has handed in the last five final drafts, typed, and neatly organized, that is recorded also.
Prior to progress reports (about three weeks into each marking period), I have each student in my class complete a self-assessment. The actual format I use for Creative Writing is as follows:
Completion of in-class work ______/100
Completion of homework (journals, rough drafts, add’l assignments) ______/100
Final drafts handed in (on time) /quality of final drafts (typed, neatly organized) ______/100
On-task/appropriate classroom behavior ______/100
Respectful attitude to peers and teacher ______/100
Productivity in a pair/group ______/100
Overall participation (reading, discussion, peer review, etc.) ______/100
Effort and accountability ______/100
Overall quality of classroom performance______/100
Willingness to grow ______/100
Your total points ______/1000
(I also include a section for students to offer additional comments or input relevant to their classroom performance.)
Students assess themselves on the above criteria, which speak not only to the work they hand in, but their presence in a writing environment: are they being productive in a group setting? Are they being respectful of their peers? Are they participating in a variety of ways?
Nine times out of ten, students are *incredibly* honest and accurate in their evaluations. Ultimately, I have the final say regarding the averages, but I rarely come up with figures that differ greatly from their own thoughts on the subject.
Before marking period averages are due, I go back into my computer gradebook and make any necessary changes and updates.
So far, this system has worked very well and, I believe, has encouraged my students to focus more on their entire classroom presence and their intrinsic motivation to do well.
How do you assess your students' work? I am interested in your feedback!
Stay tuned for my next topic: Which students take Creative Writing?
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Establishing trust and community
There I am: grade ten, sitting near the back of the English classroom, conscientious to a fault, but deathly afraid of participation. Don't call on me. Don't call on me. Please don't call on me. Yes, I know the answer, but I spent half my life stuttering, and maybe today will be the day I am suddenly in the fifth grade again. Yes, I know the answer, but what if my voice cracks? What if everybody laughs? What if Scott Obnoxious on the other side of the room rolls his eyes? What if... and the list goes on. I spent so much time worrying about being called on that I am sure I missed out on so much. My fear made it hard for me to really be present to my teacher, my peers, myself as a learner.
There I am again: grade eleven, called to the front of the classroom to read my poem, face burning, hands sweating. My poem was about the boy I thought I was in love with, the boy who broke my heart, fill-in-the-rest-of-the-cliche-here. Yes, it was a truly awful poem, but that's not the point. The point was that the thought of reading my poem to classmates I didn't trust destroyed my confidence, made me want to be absent that day, made me want to visit the nurse, the bathroom, the stairwell - anywhere.
Here I am, once more - present day: I never want my students to wish themselves out of my classroom.
So, what to do?
Here are ten thoughts (in no particular order) on establishing trust and community in a creative writing environment that I have successfully used:
1. Find out from students what is important to them in a classroom environment. I make my students create individual lists of "Essential Qualities for a Happy and Successful Creative Writing Classroom." Unique responses (because they ALL say coffee and donuts on Fridays :) are recorded and shared so that everyone knows what is important to everyone else. Some sample responses are as follows: no checking the clock when someone is reading, give non-verbal feedback to a reader (eye contact, nodding, etc.), offer constructive feedback (not just "I liked it," "I didn't get it" - be specific!), whatever is said in Room 215 stays in Room 215 and will not make its way to the cafeteria or the bus stop, be respectful of others' differences (find something to value in each classmate). Consistently enforce the ideals that are important to each individual class; encourage your students to do the same within their peer groups.
2. We spend the first full class period passing notes. They may fold the notes, make them into chinese footballs, toss them across the rows, hand deliver them, but they may not speak. Their writing must focus on the task of getting to know people as individuals, must go beyond, "Hey, what's up?". (Students who return after graduation frequently reference this activity as a favorite from high school.)
3. Every now and then, we spend a class period sharing meaningful conversation with one another. Everyone writes a thought-provoking, but accessible question, such as, "What is one simple thing you think people should do to better the world?", "Aside from a parent, what adult has helped to shape you into the person you are today?", "Name something that most people don't know about you." Responses are shared within the circle, but students are given the opportunity to "pass" if they are not comfortable offering their responses. Nine times out of then, everyone speaks. This activity promotes connection and breaks down barriers within the class.
4. Show your students that you are not above doing your own assignments. When I ask my students to write a poem, I write that poem, too. During a reading opportunity, I read my work, too. Ask for their suggestions on your writing; validate their offerings. If you are asking them to take risks, to share themselves, I think it is pretty critical that you are willing to do the same.
5. Create a relaxed, comfortable environment in which to share work. In my classroom, I made a carpeted corner full of artwork, stocked bookshelves, a couple eccentric knick knacks from my grandfather's basement, a stereo, two stools, and a guitar. Students are invited to add their own personal touches to the area: bring in photos, a book to donate, a cool poster, a quote, etc. Reading days are not JUST for our most current project. They may read a journal entry from last month, a poem written in study hall, a favorite poem by a published author, etc. They may also read each other's work. Every now and then, a shy student has a bold friend who will give voice to that shy student's work - empowering for both parties involved. They may read from their seats in the circle, or they may come to the center of the area and read from one of the stools, or they may stand. I don't establish requirements for this aspect in an effort to make everyone comfortable. We gather in that corner, and, I swear, magic happens. I don't have to call on anyone. Most everyone genuinely wants to read.
6. I do require that everyone come to the corner with his or her notebook and something to write with. As others are reading, everyone else is actively listening, jotting down notes, recording observations. This way, when a reader finishes, we have comments and feedback to share with him/her - not just sporadic applause or dead air.
7. Model sensitive behavior. Model sensitive behavior. Model sensitive behavior. Model sensitive behavior.
8. Evil Teacher Trick #32: For a cooperative assignment, allow students to create their own groups. (Naturally, they will gravitate to those with whom they are most comfortable.) Once groups are established, inform students that those are the only students in the class that they are NOT allowed to work with today - MIX IT UP, MOVE AROUND THE ROOM, TAKE A CHANCE!
9. Have students call on one another, as opposed to keeping that role all to yourself. Example: I call on Alex to read her response. After she does so, she gets to choose the next reader. She chooses Jim, who doesn't usually say much, but Jim reads today because Alex asked him to. OR, Jim passes, and chooses someone else, and that is okay, too. Frequently, vocal students will call on those students who are more reserved - and about whom everyone is curious. I think it makes both parties feel good about themselves: the vocal student is bringing someone else into the conversation; the reserved student knows that he/she is an important member of the class that others want to hear from.
10. Statistically, more people fear public speaking than death. Using this fact as a jumping off point, promote an open discourse about that sense of fear that frequently accompanies reading and participation. If we know why we are afraid, we can work to alleviate those fears through our actions.
That's all for now! :) Have you tried any similar approaches in your classroom? What are the concepts that you stress to your students? Let me know! If you try any of my suggestions, please keep me posted as to how it goes! Stay tuned for our next topic: ASSESSMENT.
There I am again: grade eleven, called to the front of the classroom to read my poem, face burning, hands sweating. My poem was about the boy I thought I was in love with, the boy who broke my heart, fill-in-the-rest-of-the-cliche-here. Yes, it was a truly awful poem, but that's not the point. The point was that the thought of reading my poem to classmates I didn't trust destroyed my confidence, made me want to be absent that day, made me want to visit the nurse, the bathroom, the stairwell - anywhere.
Here I am, once more - present day: I never want my students to wish themselves out of my classroom.
So, what to do?
Here are ten thoughts (in no particular order) on establishing trust and community in a creative writing environment that I have successfully used:
1. Find out from students what is important to them in a classroom environment. I make my students create individual lists of "Essential Qualities for a Happy and Successful Creative Writing Classroom." Unique responses (because they ALL say coffee and donuts on Fridays :) are recorded and shared so that everyone knows what is important to everyone else. Some sample responses are as follows: no checking the clock when someone is reading, give non-verbal feedback to a reader (eye contact, nodding, etc.), offer constructive feedback (not just "I liked it," "I didn't get it" - be specific!), whatever is said in Room 215 stays in Room 215 and will not make its way to the cafeteria or the bus stop, be respectful of others' differences (find something to value in each classmate). Consistently enforce the ideals that are important to each individual class; encourage your students to do the same within their peer groups.
2. We spend the first full class period passing notes. They may fold the notes, make them into chinese footballs, toss them across the rows, hand deliver them, but they may not speak. Their writing must focus on the task of getting to know people as individuals, must go beyond, "Hey, what's up?". (Students who return after graduation frequently reference this activity as a favorite from high school.)
3. Every now and then, we spend a class period sharing meaningful conversation with one another. Everyone writes a thought-provoking, but accessible question, such as, "What is one simple thing you think people should do to better the world?", "Aside from a parent, what adult has helped to shape you into the person you are today?", "Name something that most people don't know about you." Responses are shared within the circle, but students are given the opportunity to "pass" if they are not comfortable offering their responses. Nine times out of then, everyone speaks. This activity promotes connection and breaks down barriers within the class.
4. Show your students that you are not above doing your own assignments. When I ask my students to write a poem, I write that poem, too. During a reading opportunity, I read my work, too. Ask for their suggestions on your writing; validate their offerings. If you are asking them to take risks, to share themselves, I think it is pretty critical that you are willing to do the same.
5. Create a relaxed, comfortable environment in which to share work. In my classroom, I made a carpeted corner full of artwork, stocked bookshelves, a couple eccentric knick knacks from my grandfather's basement, a stereo, two stools, and a guitar. Students are invited to add their own personal touches to the area: bring in photos, a book to donate, a cool poster, a quote, etc. Reading days are not JUST for our most current project. They may read a journal entry from last month, a poem written in study hall, a favorite poem by a published author, etc. They may also read each other's work. Every now and then, a shy student has a bold friend who will give voice to that shy student's work - empowering for both parties involved. They may read from their seats in the circle, or they may come to the center of the area and read from one of the stools, or they may stand. I don't establish requirements for this aspect in an effort to make everyone comfortable. We gather in that corner, and, I swear, magic happens. I don't have to call on anyone. Most everyone genuinely wants to read.
6. I do require that everyone come to the corner with his or her notebook and something to write with. As others are reading, everyone else is actively listening, jotting down notes, recording observations. This way, when a reader finishes, we have comments and feedback to share with him/her - not just sporadic applause or dead air.
7. Model sensitive behavior. Model sensitive behavior. Model sensitive behavior. Model sensitive behavior.
8. Evil Teacher Trick #32: For a cooperative assignment, allow students to create their own groups. (Naturally, they will gravitate to those with whom they are most comfortable.) Once groups are established, inform students that those are the only students in the class that they are NOT allowed to work with today - MIX IT UP, MOVE AROUND THE ROOM, TAKE A CHANCE!
9. Have students call on one another, as opposed to keeping that role all to yourself. Example: I call on Alex to read her response. After she does so, she gets to choose the next reader. She chooses Jim, who doesn't usually say much, but Jim reads today because Alex asked him to. OR, Jim passes, and chooses someone else, and that is okay, too. Frequently, vocal students will call on those students who are more reserved - and about whom everyone is curious. I think it makes both parties feel good about themselves: the vocal student is bringing someone else into the conversation; the reserved student knows that he/she is an important member of the class that others want to hear from.
10. Statistically, more people fear public speaking than death. Using this fact as a jumping off point, promote an open discourse about that sense of fear that frequently accompanies reading and participation. If we know why we are afraid, we can work to alleviate those fears through our actions.
That's all for now! :) Have you tried any similar approaches in your classroom? What are the concepts that you stress to your students? Let me know! If you try any of my suggestions, please keep me posted as to how it goes! Stay tuned for our next topic: ASSESSMENT.
Friday, October 12, 2007
How I Got Here
Hi, everybody! This is my first blog entry, and, for some reason, I am feeling vaguely nervous. I suppose the prospect of a hundred English teachers reading this entry is a little intimidating. :) ANYway, I started working here at High Point in 2000. During my second year, I was put in the driver's seat of our creative writing program. The veteran teacher who was responsible for teaching the class was retiring, and it was given over to "the new kid." I was extremely nervous about it: How do I grade poetry? How do I even teach it? What authors should I focus on? Should I focus on authors at all, or should I focus more on student-generated writing? What about the semester of prose? Yikes! I was really at a loss. I had never been much of a writer myself (usually only for school projects); I had never even taken a poetry class in college. What was I going to do? (The back-to-school dreams this year were some of the worst I have ever experienced. :)
My first year teaching the class, I was blessed with eighteen of the most wonderful young people a teacher could ask for. They were sensitive, open-minded, patient, interested, quirky, and incredibly talented. Over the course of 180 days, we learned the ropes together. I learned to stretch. I learned to think *way* outside of the box. When I gave an assignment, I would try it myself. When I asked them to read what they had written, I would read what I had written also. I went to the Warren County Poetry Festival. The year after that, I went to the Dodge Poetry Festival. I purchased a ton of books, by authors I had never heard of (who would eventually become trusted friends): Grace Paley, Naomi Shihab Nye, Hafiz, Rumi, Lucille Clifton, Pablo Neruda, and the list goes on.
Now, we average between fifty and sixty students in our creative writing program, which contains both first (creative writing) and second level (creative writing workshop) courses. Many of these students fuel our literary magazine staff and help to facilitate open mic nights and poetry readings, both in school and around the county. I am very proud of my students for embracing the written word and sharing their passion with me and with their peers.
How about you? How did you become a creative writing teacher? Tell me your stories!
Thanks for reading! My next blog topic will be establishing a sense of community in the writing classroom. Stay tuned...
My first year teaching the class, I was blessed with eighteen of the most wonderful young people a teacher could ask for. They were sensitive, open-minded, patient, interested, quirky, and incredibly talented. Over the course of 180 days, we learned the ropes together. I learned to stretch. I learned to think *way* outside of the box. When I gave an assignment, I would try it myself. When I asked them to read what they had written, I would read what I had written also. I went to the Warren County Poetry Festival. The year after that, I went to the Dodge Poetry Festival. I purchased a ton of books, by authors I had never heard of (who would eventually become trusted friends): Grace Paley, Naomi Shihab Nye, Hafiz, Rumi, Lucille Clifton, Pablo Neruda, and the list goes on.
Now, we average between fifty and sixty students in our creative writing program, which contains both first (creative writing) and second level (creative writing workshop) courses. Many of these students fuel our literary magazine staff and help to facilitate open mic nights and poetry readings, both in school and around the county. I am very proud of my students for embracing the written word and sharing their passion with me and with their peers.
How about you? How did you become a creative writing teacher? Tell me your stories!
Thanks for reading! My next blog topic will be establishing a sense of community in the writing classroom. Stay tuned...
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