March 5, 2013

Overheard Poems: Experimental Writing for Tweens, Teens & other Earthlings

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Leap Write Inby Karen Benke, author of Leap Write In! (April 2013, Roost Books) and Rip the Page! (Roost Books)

After the last bell, the middle and high school students in my small town gather on the sunny patio in front of the local Starbucks.  They hang out in lose clusters talking, snacking and, of course, text messaging.  A few feet away, I sit in my silver car and wait for my pre-teen son to finish his socializing, the conversations I overhear cause the corners of my mouth turn upward as I imagine their words, exchanges, exclamations finding their way into poems.  As a writing coach to kids and kids-at-heart, this scene—and others like them—serve as inspiration for the many experimental writing prompts I create to get people inspired to pick up a pen.

In addition to my coaching and work with California Poets in the Schools, I meet with groups of tweens and teens at local bookstores.  (more…)

 

September 11, 2012

Actor Tony Danza Speaks Out to Educators in His New Book

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What does Tony Danza know about education?!

As an actor, Tony Danza had conquered nearly every entertainment realm—TV, the movies, even Broadway—when one day three years ago, he felt a powerful urge to chase a childhood dream and become a teacher. He’d been inspired by a documentary made by Teach for America, the organization that trains college graduates to teach in rural and urban public schools, and he wanted to give something back. After dazzling viewers of such hit TV shows as Taxi and Who’s the Boss? and delighting Broadway audiences, he figured that, even with his lack of teaching experience, he still stood a good chance of keeping a classroom of high school kids engaged. How hard could it be?

As he found out, really hard. Entering Philadelphia’s Northeast High School’s crowded halls in September 2009, Tony found his way to a tenth-grade classroom filled with twenty-six students who were determined not to cut him any slack.

In his new book, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High,Tony shares experiences that ranged from the infuriating to the deeply rewarding as he relives the amazing story of what happened. In his tenure at Northeast High Tony did it all, teaching Shakespeare, working detention, assisting the music and drama departments, coaching football, and helping a special group of young people through some of the most daunting personal and emotional issues.

We invite you to watch Tony’s message to educators on his site, TonyDanza.com, where you can also find more information about the book and his upcoming events.

Click here to read a conversation with Tony Danza and Erin Gruwell, author of The Freedom Writers Diary.

 

May 1, 2012

A Message from Dear Marcus Author Jerry McGill

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Last year I retired from a profession that was probably the most challenging, the most frustrating, and in many ways the most rewarding profession that I’ve ever held. When I rolled my wheelchair out of my high school English classroom for the last time, I had to take a moment to recognize and honor all that I had gained from the experience. My reasons for choosing not to return to the classroom are complex and varied, but one thing is without doubt: to watch a student read, process, and discuss a work of literature is a thing of beauty.

I recall so well my freshman class’s heartfelt reactions to the suffering of young Elie Wiesel as we became immersed in the story of Night. Class discussions revolved around the cruelty of humankind and the necessity of hope, and their journals reflected just how engrossed they were in the journey. They experienced a similar reaction when the students (who were, like the school, about 92% Caucasian) dove into the life of Richard Wright and his shocking experience of growing up in the Jim Crow South in Black Boy.  During our conversations we explored topics such as the use of the “N word,” poverty, racism, religion, and, of course, the cruelty of humanity. (more…)

 

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