Strategies for Teaching Writing
in Alternative Education Facilities

| Understanding | Essential Questions | Knowledge and Skills |

“And then there was my deep-seated prejudice against writing classes. I taught creative writing once; at the end of that semester I vowed never to put the words 'creative writing' and 'class' together in the same sentence again (Salzman, 2003)." Every teacher's worst fear and every teacher's best hope: how to engage the hearts and minds of tough teenagers, unlock the key to their souls and give them the tools to communicate through the writing process.

In this module, traditional and non-traditional tools to teach writing and open avenues of communication are used with students in a variety of alternative education settings. By "messing around" with the ideas in this module, teachers can match appropriate strategies with the students they teach.

Salzman, M. (2003). True notebooks. New York: Alfred Knopf.

| Top of Section | Top of Page | Understanding |

The writing process--personal, intimate, revealing, therapeutic--has opened doors for countless numbers of students in alternative education settings when used skillfully by teachers.

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1. In what ways can reading about the struggles of others help troubled teens to think about themselves and share themselves in writing?
2. How do skillful teachers use journals and blogs to jumpstart the writing process and get troubled teens to share themselves with others?
3. In what ways can technology engage a troubled teen turned off by paper and pencil writing activities?
4. How can popular culture and art engage troubled teens in ways the written word cannot?
   

| Top of Section | Top of Page | Knowledge and Skills |

Teachers will:

1. Use a informal yet structured process to engage with students using journals and blogs .
2. Use forms of poetry and poetic writing to express feelings; set up poetry "slams."
3. Read and respond to literature about and by teenagers about their own life experiences;
4. Use technology tools to expand the communication process (Inspiration, Powerpoint, epals).
5. Use drama to think about the expressive process (readers theatre, screenplays, plays).
6. Use pop culture and art for communication when words don't work (comic strips, grafitti, murals)