Even though writing scholars like Thomas Newkirk emphasize that narrative is the backbone of all writing, school curricula emphasize argumentative writing instead. How might we create more space for narrative writing? How do we teach it in ways that it does not lose its sparkle once it becomes "schoolified"? Using Ruta Sepetys' book You the Story: A Writer's Guide to Craft through Memory as a mentor text, this session will invite students and teachers to view narrative with a storyteller's eye. Bring your notebook and be prepared to write!
Tired of comprehension quizzes? Bored with summary passages? Want to find a new way to see students interact with a text? Learn about a variety reading strategies to spice up the engagement of reading in your classroom. Explore visual and speaking tasks with that require minimal teacher preparation to see your students' analysis and depth of understanding of a complex text.
