This Year's Plan

This year, I hope to take a bit of what happens in my classroom and bring it into the community and beyond. I also wish to deepen my commitment to my own personal creative writing endeavors by writing more and seeking the input of colleagues, students, and fellow writers. Making this prospect a reality will invariably cause me to stretch and grow as an educator, as I will be interacting with different types of students from different backgrounds, providing mentoring opportunities for fellow educators and pre-service educators, immersing myself in the craft that I am responsible for teaching, and reflecting on my own performance on a regular basis.

Specific goals include the following:
1. Integrate student poetry and writing into our school community.
2. Present to pre-service teachers at Kean University regarding classroom management, student writing, community building in the classroom, etc.
3. Work closely with a non-profit agency in Union County to facilitate a writing workshop and open mic event for students all over New Jersey.
4. Work closely with our local library and other area venues to organize and implement at least two writing-based workshops and/or open mics for youth.
5. Create and gather input on my own creative writing from a variety of sources.
6. Organize a second year of Work in Progress, the county-wide high school writing workshop.
7. Update this blog with relevant information about progress, ideas, and outcomes.

Next topic: What I've done so far toward these goals

Tap... Tap... Is This Thing On?

Hello, intrepid English teachers! It has been awhile, but I am firing up my blog once again. It's a new school year, there are new students to teach, I have a new self-assessment plan: life is good, and there is a lot to talk about. I hope you will check back frequently and share your experiences and opinions with me. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Topic of my next blog post: this year's self-assessment, what it means, what my plan is, and the role this blog will play ("In this showing of Heather's Self-Assessment, the role of the blog will be played by..." :)

Success!

Well, it finally happened: Work in Progress occurred last Thursday and was a resounding success. Everything ran smoothly; the students interacted in a way that was sensitive, meaningful, and focused; the chaperones enjoyed a productive and relaxing day; the workshop presenters did a fabulous job; everyone went home happy. I received a *ton* of positive feedback from students, chaperones, and facilitators. It looks like we might have to do this again next year. (Count me in.) :)

For more information about the day, check out my creative writing blog (the one I keep for my students), where the event was "live blogged" throughout the day: www.msstroutscw.blogspot.com. (Incidentally, I was hoping for more posts, but time was in short supply.)

My next major undertaking is the open mic/coffeehouse we host every year to celebrate the publication of our literary magazine. This event is happening on Friday, June 6th. It is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite experiences of the school year. I will keep you posted.

Huge thank-yous to those of you who offered me feedback and/or moral support via this blog. I greatly appreciate your input. It is nice to know that we are all in this (teaching, thinking, life, etc.) together.

One Week to Go!

I can't believe the workshop is almost here! Here are some updates:

1. A representative from the Morris/Sussex County FSO (Family Support Organization) will be attending! This organization supports families whose children have emotional and behaviorial challenges. She is interested in potentially having me coordinate writing-related activities (an open mic, a workshop, a poetry slam, etc.)for the young people with whom she works. How cool! She also invited me and 5-10 of my students to a mural unveiling and open mic in honor of Children's Mental Health Day on May 8th. Needless to say, I am really excited about this opportunity! Also, curriculum directors from two other area schools will be in attendance.

2. I made a Costco run yesterday to pick up snacks and some other supplies for the day. I think I got all the essentials: Pop-Tarts, granola bars, fruit snacks, and, of course mini chocolate bars and Twizzlers. Beverages are being coordinated by our cafeteria supervisor (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and small water bottles). I picked up a 40-pack of Capri-Sun, too - just in case. I also bought mini legal pads and a few dozen pens to disperse among the goody bags.

3. Final head count: 77 students, 6 of whom are facilitating their own workshop; 6 adult presenters, 5 chaperones from other schools, and a partridge in a pear tree.

4. Today is t-shirt day. I was fortunate to receive a "friends and family" discount coupon for AC Moore, which will save me a whopping 30% off my entire regularly-priced purchase. (Their teacher discount only saves you 10%.) This is good news, in that it will help me stay within my budget. Yay, bargain shopping! I plan to get about 100 shirts, plus other items - like small thank you gifts for presenters and chaperones.

5. Monday, April 28th, is our after school Work in Progress Preparation-Palooza. I made a list of about 8 different work stations (T-Shirt Mania, Name that Tag, Goody Bag Central, etc.). Students may sign up under a station and get to work. I will get some food for them, we will put on some music, they will earn some volunteer hours, and everyone should have a pretty good time!

6. I created the program, complete with workshop descriptions and presenter bios; now, it just needs to be copied on colorful paper (Thanks, Mary. :). See #5.

7. Thanks to one of your suggestions, I am going to live blog the event. Two students volunteered to help out with that process. (I have the best students on the planet; I am sure of it.)

8. Workshop titles are as follows: Student to Student, The ART of Writing, Concrete Poetry, Journal Creation (students will get to make their own books), Songwriting 101, The Poetry of Relationship, and Organized Rambling.

9. I created two surveys - one for chaperones and one for students. Hopefully, the responses I receive will make planning future events a little easier.

10. I had a meeting with our Superintendent an April 18th to fill him in and invite him to attend. He seemed really pleased with my efforts and is looking forward to a great day on May 1.

(So am I. :)

One Month to Go!

Yes, it's true: there are exactly twenty-eight days until Work in Progress, our first ever county-wide high school writing workshop! At this point, there will be about sixty to seventy-five students in attendance. Considering it is my first year doing all of this, I am kind of glad that number is not larger. While it is a little disappointing that only three of the nine schools that received applications actually responded, one third is better than no thirds, right? I feel as though I covered all bases in trying to get more schools involved:

*I sent out an initial e-mail explaining the project to every high school English teacher (over one hundred of them) in my county.
*I sent out an e-mail prior to the mailing of the application.
*I called each school and informed them that they would be receiving the application within a week.
*I sent a reminder e-mail.

(Hmmmm... perhaps I harassed everyone too much and they all secretly wanted to send bricks through my window... :)

Anyway, the presenters are all lined up and ready to go. Two of them are former students, which I am really excited about. One of them, a recent Cornell graduate who has been published in a variety of areas, is our keynote speaker. The other is a current senior at Rutgers University who is majoring in English and Art History. I am so proud of them both and can't wait to see them inspire so many others.

Three of the other presenters are colleagues of mine: two art teachers and a fellow English teacher. Why art teachers at a writing workshop? I thought it would be great if the kids had an opportunity to create their own personalized writing journals at one of the stations and/or connect the world of written art with the world of visual art. In addition to new drafts of creative writing, they will have something else to take with them at the conclusion of the day. The last presenter is a local singer-songwriter who is going to use this talent as a focus for her workshop.

I currently have a graphic design student working on a logo that I can hopefully use on t-shirts, posters, etc. I am also going to create teacher and student surveys, so that I can get some feedback on what to improve for next time.

I am beginning to purchase items for the school goodie bags, which will contain t-shirts, programs, pens, chocolates, some magnetic poetry (I found a great deal on small sets at a dollar store in Massachusetts - wow!), and other random occurrences. Some of my students have volunteered to stay after school and help me assemble everything. They will also serve as greeters the day of, and have a variety of other tasks, including the facilitating of a "student-to-student" group at the workshop.

Oh yeah, and I still need to make a food run for library-friendly snacks and beverages.

Whew.

Do any of you have last minute thoughts or suggestions for me? If so, please let me know. In past blogs, some of you have offered great ideas; I look forward to hearing more of them!

Thanks in advance!

Thoughts about Revision, Editing, and Conferencing - OH MY!

(Thank you, Dr. BadA#@ for your suggestion! Here we go...)

1. In the beginning of the year, I do a mini-unit on how to avoid cliches. I use the example of one of my own high school poems (which was truly, truly atrocious) and we discuss the concept of unoriginal, tired language and how it can be replaced by unique constructions. We make lists in groups of all the cliches we can think of and then, take a word frequently associated with cliche, and breathe new life into it. "Heart," for example is *always* described as broken or shattered or happy or bursting with pride or... the list goes on. Students and I create new expressions to embody these concepts. We also do a "Cliche Wars" assignment where I give students a list of interesting words that are differing parts of speech (silver, highjack, fresh, jingle). They must come up with phrases/images that involve these words. For example, what typically jingles: bells, keys, etc. Some student-generated responses for NEW connections to this word are as follows: new ideas jingle, a child's speech jingles, poems jingle on a page, etc. From there, they create poems involving some of these fresh phrases.

2. I stress the idea that *any topic* can be deserving of poetry. We do a lot of example readings here, because so often, students come in thinking that poetry is only about death, love, nature, or depression (with an emphasis on love and depression). Broadening their scope of what to write about helps a lot.

3. In their beginning of the year "Creative Writing Survival Kit," I give students a list of questions to consider in a peer editing session. The list is as follows:

1. Is the writing free of errors (grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, etc.)?
2. Does the writer show and not simply tell the reader?
3. Does the writer use specific nouns?
4. Does the writer use vivid action verbs?
5. Does the writer excite the senses? Can you see, hear, feel, taste, smell?
6. Has the writer relied too heavily on adjectives and adverbs?
7. Has the writer been inventive and original with language?
8. Has the writer given sufficient concrete details?
9. Has the writer been accurate?
10. Does the writer give the narrator an original voice?
11. Is the time frame of the story clear?
12. Does the writer create an effective beginning to his/her piece?
13. Has the writer created an engaging title for his/her piece?
14. Is the dialogue believable?
15. Has the writer avoided clichés and trite language?
16. What is the point of the story/poem? Is it clear?
17. How does the ending fit? Does it work?
18. What mood has the writer created?
19. What is the overall tone of the piece?
20. What poetic devices or tools has the writer used to enrich the piece?
21. Is it clear that the writer knows his/her characters/setting/etc.?
22. Did you enjoy reading the piece?
23. Was the writer successful in communicating his/her message?

Obviously, not all of them apply to every piece of writing. Sometimes, I give students four or five numbers to work on with a given rough draft: "Today, as you edit each other's work, please focus on numbers 15, 17, 19, and 22."

4. During a day of peer editing, I make students collect signatures on the bottom of their rough drafts of all the people who looked at their writing. They need a minimum of four signatures. This way, they are not allowed to work with the same two people all the time. They have to move around the room and get other perspectives.

5. We start by "practice critiquing" pieces from old copies of our literary magazine. This way, students can get their feet wet with the process on pieces that they have no personal connection to. From here, it is easier to make the transition into their own writings. I also stress the concept that there really is no such thing as a final draft. Always be open to improving your writing, even if you think it is a finished piece.

6. Also at the beginning of the year, we do exercises with line breaks, where I take published poems and cut them up, without punctuation. In groups, students try to put them back together and add the punctuation they believe the poem requires. We eventually do this with their own writing.

7. Once everyone is comfortable with editing and revision, I ask for volunteers to have their poems critiqued by the class. The author must bring in enough copies for everyone in the class (or I can make copies). We can usually get through two pieces in a class period. The poem is read twice - once in the author's voice and once by someone else. From there, we form break-out groups; discuss, edit, and revise the piece; regroup; provide feedback to the author. The author then gets to take all the copies of his/her writing, complete with all the suggestions made by the class.

8. Before a final draft is due, I usually give my students one or two class days for in-class rough drafting. During these sessions, while everyone is working quietly, I sit at the back table and hold individual conferences with each student. Nine times out of ten, students are very receptive to these suggestions.

9. Our blog is also a great revision tool. Frequently, students will post a draft with one of the following headings: "HELP! Can't think of a title!" "Like the beginning, but it falls apart in the middle - suggestions?" Here, their classmates, students in other classes, other teachers, or creative writing alumni can give them feedback on their work.

I know there are things that we do that I am forgetting, but hopefully, this is a good start. Happy revision!

Successful Open Mic Experiences - In the Classroom and Beyond

Step 1: Respect is the most essential element of the experience. There is no room for eye rolling, smirking, or negativity.

Step 2: Make sure everyone feels affirmed. Obviously, students are bringing a lot of different ability levels to the table. It is important that the most academically challenged students feel as empowered as those who are academically gifted.

Step 3: I require students to bring their notebooks and a pen to the circle. This way, they can jot down lines from one another's work to talk about and react to.

Step 4: Create a corner of your classroom where readings take place. Make it as comfortable and inviting as possible. Allow the students to bring in their own decorations: photos, art work, post cards, etc. Personalize the corner. Add bookshelves, a small piece of carpet, etc. I bought a second-hand guitar that I keep in the corner, in case a student wishes to play his/her music during a reading day. If you are in several classrooms, arrange the desks in a circle or some other more intimate setting for a reading day.

Step 5: I sometimes surprise my students with food: coffee, donuts, cookies, what-have-you. Before you know it, though, they are more excited about hearing each other's new material than they are about the grub!

Step 6: Invite others to the circle - creative writing alumni, graduates, members of your literary magazine staff, etc. Let students see that they are not the only ones whose lives are affected by the written word.

Step 7: DO NOT FORCE ANYONE TO READ. EVER. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Instead, create an environment where everyone will WANT to read because they are comfortable with you and their fellow students.

Step 8: Make it a celebratory event. At this point, the editing and revision have taken place, so the work students are reading is really representative of their best efforts. Save the hardcore criticism for when you write suggestions on their individual papers.

Step 9: Bring it beyond your classroom: I work in conjunction with my local library's "Friends of the Library" group. Many community programs have opportunities for children and adults, but are not sure what to offer adolescents. The teen open mic nights we now hold at the library are always a big hit. Students can take what they have learned in your classroom and bring it into the community. At this point, I have students who are setting up their own events - through Elks Lodges, churches, etc. Be a resource for them in their pursuits. Even better, consider attending their events! I am sure they would be really proud to have you there.

Step 10: Relax. Have fun. Enjoy your students' efforts. Consider reading some of your own work. Smile. Laugh with them. Be proud of them.

Next Topic: Hmmmm... I'm not sure. Any requests or suggestions? :)

Everything You Never Knew You Wanted to Know About Literary Service Projects

As part of their midterm exam, Creative Writing Workshop students must come up with a plan for a LITERARY SERVICE PROJECT. This project must, in some way, take their love of the written word out of the classroom and into the larger community. The plan itself is a requirement for the midterm; the implementation of the plan is a requirement for the final. Read: students have from the end of January until the beginning of June to make their plan a real, live occurrence! The plan must contain - but is not limited to - the following information:

*Who will be involved in this project? (Students may work individually or in small groups.)
*Who is our audience? Who will be helped as a result of our efforts?
*Where will our project take place?
*Will it be a one-time occurrence or will it happen over the course of several weeks?
*When will our project be put into action?
*What contacts do I need to make/to whom must I reach out in order to make my project a reality?
*What resources and/or materials will I need?
*Why am I doing this?

During the final exam, students must provide evidence (in writing, in photographs, in video) of their experience. They also must reflect on it in writing: was I successful? did I do something important for others? how did people react to my work? etc.

I am always impressed and surprised by where students take this project. Here is a sampling of some student-generated literary service projects, past and present:

*Chris's mother works in a lawyer's office. Chris got permission to post a selection of her favorite poetry in the waiting area. Individuals will be able to offer feedback on the postings - and the subject of poetry in general - on a survey that Chris will make and provide.

*Seniors Jody and Melanie are going to create their own "favorite poetry t-shirts" (seven of them) and wear a different one each day during one week in April (National Poetry Month). Since no one can resist reading a t-shirt, they hope to spark someone's interest in poetry. They are also going to decorate their vehicles with poems so that everywhere they go, they will be a traveling billboard for the art they love.

*Eric, who works at the local coffeeshop, is going to organize and host a poetry open mic night for the community.

*Former students Jess, Julia, and Robert engaged in "Drive-By Poetry," where they spoke poetry to passers-by at local parks, where they went through the Dairy Queen drive-thru and wowed the attendant with their spoken word prowess, where they videotaped themselves sharing poems with secretaries, cashiers, and other individuals.

*Brian, Tom, Michelle, and Sarah went back to their elementary school and spent the morning sharing their love of writing with third and fourth graders. They planned a variety of kid-friendly writing activities, culminating in a reading celebration.

*Jenn became pen-pals with Amber, a middle school student who struggled with writing. Jenn sent Amber some of her own poetry, wrote a paired story with her, and showed her that writing could be a lot of fun. It was an experience for which Amber - and her parents and teacher - were incredibly thankful.

These are just a few of SO MANY incredible ideas that students have created and implemented over the years. This project empowers students and allows them to inspire others with their love of the written word. What could be better? :)

Next Topic: planning a poetry reading or open mic coffeehouse event - in your classroom or beyond!

Midterm Mayhem!

In my creative writing class, the midterm exam takes the form of a project as opposed to a traditional test. Midterms usually happen near the end of January, so I try to explain the project to my students as soon as possible upon returning from vacation. This gives them plenty of time to work on it and do a good job. I do give them some class time, but they must consider it to be their homework. During the two hour exam period, students must present their work to the rest of the class by choosing a few highlights from their project to discuss.

Here are some directions I give to first level CW students as to what they must include in their portfolios:

an original title;

a “Table of Contents” page including page numbers, titles, etc.;

a collection of poems by other authors - at least two must include written responses for your preferences - pick out favorite lines, interpret the language, share your insights, etc.;

a collection of original poems - make sure that these poems are final-FINAL draft quality - re-edit for spelling, word choice, punctuation, structure, etc. - pick out your three strongest pieces and include written responses for your choices (see above);

a collection of Internet sites and books that you have found useful (and/or interesting) in your study of poetry - again, include reasons/specific information;

drawings, collages, paintings, photographs, etc. (sculpture? You-name-it: some type of visual representation) to accompany at least two of the poems in your portfolio - please do not merely download images from the Internet or paste in clip art;

extras - quotes, poetic song lyrics, thoughts that wish to be placed in the corner of a page, favorite lines from a friend’s poem, your favorite grammar school poem, a Cubist drawing of your favorite poet, a cherished piece from last year’s issue of Calliope, etc. - a lot of freedom here;

option A: poet information page
option B: the “performance” of a poem
(You may choose EITHER “A” or “B.”);

a self-assessment of your midterm project and your performance in Creative Writing up to this point. Please include the following items in your assessment: 1) a letter grade for your midterm project and an explanation of the grade, 2) your perceived strengths as a writer, 3) your perceived weaknesses, 4) the most significant piece of information you have learned about yourself as a result of this class or as a result of writing in general.

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Second level students are required to create their own "zines," compose a plan for a literary service project, and complete an additional project of their choosing. My next blog entry will center on the idea of literary service projects (which are always a HUGE hit!). See you next time!