Shiloh High School, Hume IL
Participate in the esteemed Iowa Summer Writing Festival at the University of Iowa in Iowa City to help students creatively publish pain and disappointment stemming from COVID, poverty, homelessness and family trauma into a form of literature and build a narrative offers the choice to write a better story with their lives.
I left the cornfields of East Central Illinois for more cornfields on my drive to the University of Iowa's Summer Writing Festival.
This Hawkeye embodies everything I saw on my drive. Being on a college campus makes me feel so alive!
I walked past Iowa's Old Capitol Building (on the quad and a museum) every day. It's so majestic!
I took so many notes in my first class of Fast Drafting. The class taught me to write the basic story first; revise later. I will definitely encourage my students to do the same.
My AirBnB had only teacups . . . and this writer needed a BIG mug for morning coffee and writing.
I learned that I am a morning writer. I would write then walk. This event will make it into my book somewhere; the gentlemen turned off the hydrant just long enough for me to pass!! LOL
I met with my instructor and discussed the storyline that I wanted to explore. She felt that it was a story that needed to be shown, not told. I knew that I needed strong characters. I thought about them morning, noon, and night. I dreamt about them. When I woke, I wrote. I drank coffee. I wrote more. And when I hit a wall, I walked. I returned, and I continued. That evening, I read it for my peers. They laughed at all the right places. I could have cried out of gratitude. I CAN do this.
I left for Iowa City with anxiety and doubt. I returned home with confidence and sense of competence. I learned that I CAN write. I learned that I am an inspired writer who cannot multi-task when writing. I write best in the morning when I am focused and fresh. When I hit a wall, I walk it out, and return to the work with new ideas. From a professional standpoint, I learned that all writers, no matter the age, need space and freedom to do their best, most inspired work. I will go back.
While in Iowa, I found myself focused and moving forward with my writing. When I returned home, I did not have the same success. I can get some done, but interruptions crop up. The positive feedback that I received from my classmates, still rings in my ears; I want to finish the book. My husband suggested that I go somewhere to write a few times during the school year. His support for this dream of mine humbles me. In addition, my students seem to embrace writing and the process. We all grow!
I set up my classroom to look less like a classroom and more like a workshop. I have tables and chairs where students can write independently. I have a small “learning bar” where I work with small groups of students who are struggling with the same writing skills. Two tables are reserved for peer conferences. In addition, the back table is set up as a writing toolbox: computer chargers, earbuds, pencils, highlighters, post-it notes, and a rack of publications where students can submit work.
In workshop, each of us shared our writing and received feedback from our peers. The supportive setting made a difference in my writing; I want a supportive space for students to write and receive feedback. My sincerest hope is that several students will get published. I have paper crowns and confetti crackers so that the class can celebrate. Writing is not a solitary activity; others help the writer reach his or her destination.
The Writing Workshop classroom is reserved for my 6th grade English class. The best part of Iowa’s Summer Workshop is that every participant wants to be there. Of course, that’s not true for every student. As a result, I am inviting any 7th - 12th grade writers who want to join me for a workshop on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Depending upon the interest, I would like to look into conducting a writing workshop for community members. We will start small and see if it grows.