6. Knowing Where You're Going: The American High School
Becoming a Teacher Who Writes - Let Teaching be your Writing Muse - Nancy S. Gorrell
Nancy S. Gorrell [+]
English teacher and poet
Description
Chapter 6 introduces 20th and 21st century scholarship on the teaching of creative writing in America and Britain. In “Trends and Findings” the author traces the decline of creative writing experiences from a high in the elementary years to a low in high school and college. The author supports these trends and findings with evidence from her students’ memoirs. Chapter 6 tackles the dilemma all teachers face: how to teach writing in your subject area if you are not a writer or a creative writer. The author offers an answer: becoming a teacher who writes. The remainder of Chapter 6 presents a model creative writing classroom based on the author’s Creative Writing I semester-long elective. In “how to” fashion, the author demonstrates a “day one pep talk,” establishing a community of writers, process writing prompts, a contract grading system, and portfolio assessment. Chapter 6 concludes with Interdisciplinary Applications for Teachers and Students and a “Non-Stop” writing prompt.