Innovative lessons/ideas for teaching creative writing, as well as samples of student writing resulting from the lesson. See complete submission guidelines here.
By M.P. Vivian One moment I’m standing in the mall, just waiting to pay for my cinnamon crumble cookies and Gatorade at a snack stand, and the next I’m on a potentially dangerous island. – Alexa, a high school sophomore When I first started teaching 10 years ago, I had time to read student essays on…
“Most of my students had kept moments that changed them forever buried deep inside where no one would ever find them if not asked by someone they trusted.”
Bill Murray and “Dog” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti are the inspiration for this writing activity, which works for writers of all ages.
“My heart was heavy with the pandemic stress this generation of teens has had to weather. In a sense, these past two years remind me of another Basho piece, his Travelogue of Weather- Beaten Bones. These kids are a bit beat down.”
2022 Bechtel Prize Winner Shilpi Suneja’s students make language their subject. “The dominance of English is a lie we tell ourselves.”
There is something about that word, voilà, at the start of the poem that generates a little magic.
Poet Ann Gengarelly shares experiences from her work in “The Poetry Studio” where students found inspiration in nature.
Poet Terry Blackhawk introduces students to Dickinson’s lack of orthodoxy, worship of nature, and independence.
In a poetry writing activity inspired by nature, students find connection and community.
This lesson plan based on “First Passion” by Mary Kinzie asks students to play with spacing and punctuation to create poetic effects.