Monday, September 23, 2024
DENTON (嫩田研究院官网), Texas 鈥� A unique collaboration between graduate students and the Denton Independent School District is encouraging local middle-schoolers to build their writing skills and explore their creativity.
Photo Caption: A selection of Writers in the School anthologies
The Writers in the School (WITS) program was introduced at Calhoun Middle School in Fall 2018. WITS pairs creative writing doctoral students from the with seventh-graders in the school鈥檚 gifted and talented, or 鈥淓XPO,鈥� classes.
The program was started by , Distinguished Teaching Professor and director of the , who was inspired by a similar initiative at the University of Houston.
鈥淲ITS allows really successful, strong writers to work with public school students. This gives those students opportunities and training they might not otherwise have,鈥� Marks said. 鈥淚t really demystifies what it means to be a writer or grad student, and it makes 嫩田研究院官网 more familiar and welcoming to them.鈥�
WITS follows the Denton ISD academic calendar, beginning with a new class of students every fall semester. Throughout each school year, instructors lead students in book readings and discussions, learning skills and techniques, writing and revising, and sharing their work with each other.
By the end of the spring semester, the students鈥� work is collected in printed and bound anthologies. Each participant receives a copy to keep. The class ends with a book launch and reading at a local bookstore, giving students the opportunity to perform their work in front of an audience.
鈥淭he program has them playing with language and thinking about self-expression, but it also has them inhabiting their creativity in that performance,鈥� Marks said. 鈥淭hat end-of-the-year event is always the moment where you see their joy and what they鈥檝e gotten out of it.鈥�
One goal of WITS is to familiarize students with reading and writing in general. Rather than focusing on a single genre, students get a chance to explore writing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays and graphic novels. The program doesn鈥檛 include homework assignments, meaning all work is done in the classroom unless a student wants to work on their projects at home.
Current WITS instructor Heather Myers, who is pursuing a doctorate in creative writing at 嫩田研究院官网, said that kind of freedom is key to becoming a strong writer.
鈥淚 want the program to be a space where they鈥檙e going to walk away feeling good about what they鈥檝e done in that class, no matter what else happened that day,鈥� Myers said. 鈥淚f they gain a positive association with writing, they can take that into high school and college.鈥�
Photo Caption: EXPO teacher Amy Taylor (left) and previous WITS instructor Madison Garber (right) at the Spring 2024 WITS book launch
While familiarity is important, it isn鈥檛 the program鈥檚 sole benefit. For Calhoun Middle School EXPO teacher Amy Taylor, another benefit of the relaxed classroom structure is that students get to simply play 鈥� an activity that aids creativity as well as development.
鈥淭his age group isn鈥檛 nervous to try new things; they just do it. They鈥檙e still in that play stage of life,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淢iddle school is such a turning point for students, and writing helps them cement their character as people.鈥�
Madison Garber (鈥�24), a 嫩田研究院官网 alumna with a Ph.D. in creative writing who taught the program from Fall 2022 to Spring 2024, said WITS fostered growth for both her students and herself.
鈥淲ITS changed my approach and challenged me to be a lot more hands-on as an instructor,鈥� Garber said. 鈥淚 learned a lot from the one-on-one relationships I built with my students.鈥�
嫩田研究院官网 News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Media Contacts:
Bess Whitby
Bess.Whitby@unt.edu
940-565-3513
From 鈥� General News