After presenting at a recent conference I was approached by a teacher who said that my suggestions for helping her students become better writers were extremely helpful. She considers herself an excellent teacher but she isn't a writer. Part of my job as an author is to partner with teachers to share information and expertise. I learn from them, they learn from me, and the students benefit.
I begin every teacher workshop, after hours discussion group, conference breakout session, or anywhere else I have a chance to meet with educators by asking what I can do to help make a difference in their classrooms. By now I have a lot of practical suggestions about how to help students find ideas, get something down on paper, develop their story or poem, and learn how to revise their work. I wrote a Scholastic Guides book on how to write stories and two of my teaching strategy books (both co-written with teachers) are about how to teach poetry and how to use poetry as a teaching tool across the curriculum throughout the year.
Here is a letter from the librarian at a school I recently visited in Ohio.
April 19, 2011
Dear David,
Your visit to Maumee Valley Country Day School last week was absolutely wonderful! Our entire community: parents, teachers, and students, enjoyed every minute they spent with you. The parents who attended the evening event thought it was the best of the parent-child evenings we have had this year. One of the Primary teachers repeatedly expressed her dismay that she was unable to attend the evening event after she heard your presentation to her students on Friday. Your coming spurred us to reinstitute Poetry Week, resulting in our students reading and writing all kinds of poems to a degree greater than they might have otherwise. Many discovered the joy that doing so can bring. Your suggestions and techniques empowered the students. The impact of your visit and the encouragement you gave students will last, at least for some, a lifetime.
On behalf of the Maumee Valley community, I thank you for all your efforts and sharing yourself with us.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Quick
Librarian
These are samples of thank-you notes from students in schools I recently visited in New Jersey.
December 2010
Dear Mr. Harrison,
Thank you for visiting us. You are an amazing poet and teacher. Before you came to visit we hated writing. You changed my life. Now I love writing. I even bring my notebook to lunch and recess. Imagine that!
Love, Jalitza
I had a super duper great time yesterday with you. I keep getting my notebook to write long poems. I showed them to Ms. Propersi. Guess what she did? She screamed so loud the world heard and New York heard it too.
Your friend, Ariel
I hated to write poems but now I love to write poems all because of you. Me and my class always bring our own notebooks to recess. Thank you for reading us stories.
Love, Isaiah
Thank you for coming. Reading was boring until I saw you. You inspired me with your poems. You made me smarter.
From Jacob
I had a great time. Before I did not like writing and now that you came I love it. Now when Mrs. Propersi says take out your writing notebooks, we all do it quickly. You inspired me and my class.
