April 22, 2012
To whom it may concern,
When Lynn Bowmaster brings her creative writing workshop into schools, teachers are guaranteed of seeing one crucial fact: 100-percent student engagement. That high-level, student engagement is not always the norm in classrooms during a creative writing unit. In a typical class, good writers will excel, others will push themselves, even if they struggle, and others will hope the clock speeds its way to lunch.
Here’s a descriptive snapshot of Ms. Bowmaster at work in a classroom: Children are seated on the floor in a circle with journals in their laps and pencils scratching quickly across the page. In the middle of the circle, mysterious objects -- a carved box, maybe -- or interesting photographs lie on a blanket. The writers are at work with serious intent and little sound. What no one will hear are these infamous words: “I don’t have anything to write about.” Because all the writers I have seen take to Ms. Bowmaster’s approach so easily, and write so freely, they are practicing what teachers want: writing. To write better, students must write and in Ms. Bowmaster’s workshops, that is exactly what they do.
Another critical piece that Ms. Bowmaster adds to her workshops is instant, valuable feedback. Giving worthwhile feedback on the spot to a writer who has just read his or her piece is not easy. Ms. Bowmaster does it flawlessly, as writer after writer reads. She plucks just the correct passage or word and focuses her attention, and everyone else’s, on that success. As the workshop continues over weeks, careful observers will notice that the writers use what Ms. Bowmaster has singled out the previous week. They are learning quickly from the feedback that Ms. Bowmaster provides. Not only are they learning from Ms. Bowmaster and their peers, the students are writing with more confidence because of the nurturing environment she creates.
As a classroom teacher, I felt Ms. Bowmaster brought an added value to her writing workshops. While the students were undoubtedly becoming better writers, they were also accessing and exercising their creativity. While it is becoming clear that colleges and employers are looking for creative thinkers, schools are not always doing their part to promote that brand of thinking. Ms. Bowmaster entices the children to create, and so adds immensely to their schooling.
Please call or write me if you need extra explanation of my experience with Ms. Bowmaster. She is a talented teacher to whom my students were lucky to be exposed.
Sincerely,
Greg Kerstetter
5th grade teacher R.K. Finn Ryan Road School
Northampton School District
Phone: 413-588-8597
Email: [email protected]
To whom it may concern,
When Lynn Bowmaster brings her creative writing workshop into schools, teachers are guaranteed of seeing one crucial fact: 100-percent student engagement. That high-level, student engagement is not always the norm in classrooms during a creative writing unit. In a typical class, good writers will excel, others will push themselves, even if they struggle, and others will hope the clock speeds its way to lunch.
Here’s a descriptive snapshot of Ms. Bowmaster at work in a classroom: Children are seated on the floor in a circle with journals in their laps and pencils scratching quickly across the page. In the middle of the circle, mysterious objects -- a carved box, maybe -- or interesting photographs lie on a blanket. The writers are at work with serious intent and little sound. What no one will hear are these infamous words: “I don’t have anything to write about.” Because all the writers I have seen take to Ms. Bowmaster’s approach so easily, and write so freely, they are practicing what teachers want: writing. To write better, students must write and in Ms. Bowmaster’s workshops, that is exactly what they do.
Another critical piece that Ms. Bowmaster adds to her workshops is instant, valuable feedback. Giving worthwhile feedback on the spot to a writer who has just read his or her piece is not easy. Ms. Bowmaster does it flawlessly, as writer after writer reads. She plucks just the correct passage or word and focuses her attention, and everyone else’s, on that success. As the workshop continues over weeks, careful observers will notice that the writers use what Ms. Bowmaster has singled out the previous week. They are learning quickly from the feedback that Ms. Bowmaster provides. Not only are they learning from Ms. Bowmaster and their peers, the students are writing with more confidence because of the nurturing environment she creates.
As a classroom teacher, I felt Ms. Bowmaster brought an added value to her writing workshops. While the students were undoubtedly becoming better writers, they were also accessing and exercising their creativity. While it is becoming clear that colleges and employers are looking for creative thinkers, schools are not always doing their part to promote that brand of thinking. Ms. Bowmaster entices the children to create, and so adds immensely to their schooling.
Please call or write me if you need extra explanation of my experience with Ms. Bowmaster. She is a talented teacher to whom my students were lucky to be exposed.
Sincerely,
Greg Kerstetter
5th grade teacher R.K. Finn Ryan Road School
Northampton School District
Phone: 413-588-8597
Email: [email protected]