writer-in-residence
For anyone interested in what I do outside of my own writing, the post below is from my personal blog. I've got to figure out how to sync my posts!!
Since school is starting, I thought I’d post about what it is I do throughout the school year. Since 2008 I’ve had the great pleasure of working as a writer-in-residence for Writers in the Schools. To learn more about Writers in the Schools, aka WITS, click here. But the short version is that WITS is a nonprofit organization placing professional writers in Houston area classrooms to revolutionize and inspire the way reading and writing are taught. Working closely with the classroom teacher, the writer (novelist, poet, playwright, or essayist) visits a classroom throughout the year, sharing various creative writing lessons and experiences. At the end of the residency, each student receives a published anthology of their class’s work. That’s the big picture but what does the day-to-day operation look like?
For me, I’m assigned to a classroom (2-5 classes per school in 2-4 schools per year, as well as some half years) of elementary or middle school children, and I bring a creative writing lesson each week. Sometimes lessons can take several visits. Last year I had a group of fourth graders who worked on personal narratives over several weeks, and then turned the stories into mini books that they illustrated. I try to offer a variety of writing forms according to the teacher/classes needs and desires. I’ve used poetry, narrative, creative nonfiction, commercial writing, and even resume writing. How can a elementary or middle school student write a resume? Let’s just say they’re not the usual looking-for-a-job resume. My example resume is that of Alberta Frankenstein, granddaughter of Victor Frankenstein, and, well, her list of qualifications are a bit Abby-normal!
This is a smidgen of what I do throughout the school year. There’s also nature writing at the Houston Arboretum, visits to the Menil Museum, and I even worked with a film maker, turning the children’s work into stop motion videos. Do I have a great job or what! I plan to blog more of my writer/teacher escapades this year. So check back for updates and lesson ideas.
Since school is starting, I thought I’d post about what it is I do throughout the school year. Since 2008 I’ve had the great pleasure of working as a writer-in-residence for Writers in the Schools. To learn more about Writers in the Schools, aka WITS, click here. But the short version is that WITS is a nonprofit organization placing professional writers in Houston area classrooms to revolutionize and inspire the way reading and writing are taught. Working closely with the classroom teacher, the writer (novelist, poet, playwright, or essayist) visits a classroom throughout the year, sharing various creative writing lessons and experiences. At the end of the residency, each student receives a published anthology of their class’s work. That’s the big picture but what does the day-to-day operation look like?
For me, I’m assigned to a classroom (2-5 classes per school in 2-4 schools per year, as well as some half years) of elementary or middle school children, and I bring a creative writing lesson each week. Sometimes lessons can take several visits. Last year I had a group of fourth graders who worked on personal narratives over several weeks, and then turned the stories into mini books that they illustrated. I try to offer a variety of writing forms according to the teacher/classes needs and desires. I’ve used poetry, narrative, creative nonfiction, commercial writing, and even resume writing. How can a elementary or middle school student write a resume? Let’s just say they’re not the usual looking-for-a-job resume. My example resume is that of Alberta Frankenstein, granddaughter of Victor Frankenstein, and, well, her list of qualifications are a bit Abby-normal!
This is a smidgen of what I do throughout the school year. There’s also nature writing at the Houston Arboretum, visits to the Menil Museum, and I even worked with a film maker, turning the children’s work into stop motion videos. Do I have a great job or what! I plan to blog more of my writer/teacher escapades this year. So check back for updates and lesson ideas.
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