Innovative lessons/ideas for teaching creative writing, as well as samples of student writing resulting from the lesson. See complete submission guidelines here.
Teaching Students to Describe Emotions in Poetry FROM THE ARCHIVES: This article was originally published in Teachers & Writers Magazine, Winter 2009-2010. By Harriet Riley AS A FIRST-YEAR Writers in the Schools writer/teacher in Houston last fall, I have to admit I felt like I was entering an obstacle course blindfolded. Even though we had…
FROM THE ARCHIVES: This article originally appeared in Teachers & Writers Magazine Volume 29, Issue 3. By Mark Statman Jayne Cortez wrote a wonderful poem that is challenging and useful for inspiring student writing: Under the Edge of February Under the edge of February in hawk of a throathidden by ravines of sweet oilby temples…
I have found that one of the most successful pieces of literature for motivating students to read and write is the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. It opens up so many issues of adolescence, such as self-esteem, identity, rebellion against unjust authority and laws, individual dignity, and control over one’s life and working conditions.
By Karen Decker In a cabinet in my classroom, I keep a stash of small books of Edgar Allen Poe’s poetry. At least once a year, a student comes in and says, “Can I recite ‘The Raven’ next time I go to the podium?” My answer is, of course, yes, and I hand him or…
This is one of three lesson plans that accompany the essay The Advanced Class. By Naomi Rachel The Character Sketch assignment was very popular among my students at the Frasier Meadows Retirement Community in Boulder, Co., because we first created an imaginary character together. The point of that exercise was for students to realize how…
This is is one of three lesson plans that accompany the essay The Advanced Class. By Naomi Rachel For this assignment with a writing class for older adults at Frasier Meadows Retirement Community in Boulder, Colorado, I brought in large sheets of paper and lots of pens and crayons. We are never too old to…
This is one of three lesson plans that accompany the essay The Advanced Class. by Naomi Rachel I have always used photographs in writing classes. It seems obvious that writing about a photo you selected with a personal emotional connection would be a great inspiration. But I found that writing about a random photo with…
by Jason DeHart As a teacher in an undergraduate composition course for incoming freshmen, one of the great joys I have experienced is setting the stage for analytical writing with a variety of reading experiences. In fact, I have discovered a new-found love for analysis by teaching composition in this way. This process usually begins…
by Matt Malyon The day after the 2016 election, I was scheduled to facilitate a creative writing workshop at our site in Skagit County Juvenile Detention. I’d awoken that morning into what felt like a new and darker version of America. Deep melancholy would be putting it mildly. By midmorning, I was working on the…
by Tiphanie Yanique The following is an excerpt from Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry, a new book from Teachers & Writers Collaborative. Edited by Matthew Burgess, Spellbound offers a range of exciting ideas to inspire students of all ages to explore their potential as writers and creators. Why Voice? When I was a young…