Two things happened in the same week.  I had a group of students that I am working with in an informal outside-of-school writing group talk to me about how they felt about writing and being writers, and I received the book Writing in Color: Fourteen Writers on the Lessons We’ve Learned edited by Nafiza Azad and Melody Simpson in the mail.  It is one of the two books I am introducing at a panel at the 2023 ALAN Conference. The panel “Writing in Practice: Craft and Collaboration” featuring Writing in Color and Secret of the Moon Conch by David Bowles and Guadalupe Garcia McCall.  Both books are lovely, and I am beyond delighted that I have the opportunity to read them and talk about them.
 
But, in that weird kind of synchronicity that sometimes happens, I had the students make multiple comments about the messages they received about what it means to be a writer, what writing should look like and who can be a writer.  Azad says in her introductory note to Writing in Color,

"In my journey to becoming a published author, I was told more than once by teachers that I have no aptitude for writing and should think about doing something else. It felt like the writing world was an exclusive club and I had been denied entry.  My experience was not uncommon. For reasons unknown, the very people who are supposed to encourage you and ensure you don’t give up very often become the obstacles you need to overcome to succeed” (pxii).

This quote stood out to me—because of the students, because of my own experiences as a writer, because of what I see as a teacher. Writing in Color is a powerful book to use with writers of multiple ages because it shows the struggles and challenges of writing, but it also shows the joy and the magic of language.  The fourteen writers who have essays included in this book are all young adult authors of color.  This is a book I will be using with my writing classes as well as my young adult literature classes.  Additionally, I have started using it with the students in the writing group.
 
Here is the prompt that I developed based on the comments from students and Azad’s Introductory Note.  I wanted students to think about their writing life and create a map or other visual representation.
 
Each person has a unique writing journey. Throughout our lives there have been various people, events, places, and pieces of writing that shape who we are as writers, although we are not always cognizant of them. By reflecting on our personal journeys as writers and mapping them out, we are not only able to trace our development throughout the years, but also see how some seemingly small events made a lasting impact.
 
Writing maps can include various landmarks. Consider the following when thinking about your journey as a writer:

• Historical Trail: What are your earliest memories of writing?  What were your early experiences as a writer?
• Landmarks: What are the influential landmarks along your writing path (classes, books, people, experiences, etc.)?
• Stages: What have been the stages of your writing journey? How did you feel towards writing at different stages? Why did you feel that way?  What have been your school experiences with writing?  Your outside –of-school experiences with writing?
• Monuments: What pieces of writing stand out in your mind (proud of, loved, detested, etc.)?  What have been your successes? Your struggles?  What pieces of writing are monuments for you?
• Roadblocks:  Where do you stumble when you write? What roadblocks have you encountered along your writing journey?
• Pitfalls: What keeps you from writing?  What pitfalls to you have to watch for as a writer?
• Detours:  What pulls you away from writing? What distracts you?  When have you been distracted from a writing goal?
• Bridges:  What or who have served as inspirations or long-distance instructors for you as a writer?  Have you read a book or a poem and tried out something new based on it? Have you heard someone talk about writing or dreams and been inspired?
• Future:  What do you see in your future as a writer?
• Layout:  The layout and terrain of your map should mirror the journey that you have taken.  It may be easy to follow or it may be winding with numerous detours?

 
Creating Your Writing Map
Think about the categories listed above.  How have those specific areas shaped your development as a writer? 
Look at each of categories listed above and think about how those specific areas shaped your development into the writer that you are. It’s important that you not only include the scenic landmarks, but also any detours along the way.

• Freewrite or brainstorm ideas for each category.
• Create a visual map of your writing life using paper, art supplies, or digital media. Your goal is to create a visual or digital representation of how you became the writer that you are and want to be.

 
 

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year: American Library Association's Banned Books Week. Of course, we must work (and celebrate) to keep these texts and authors that are being challenged on the shelf year round! Yet this week there is an intense focus and a call to action for everyone to advocate for inclusivity and the right to read. 

So, how do we as teachers do this and include students.
​
First we have to ask students about what is a democracy and what freedom means within a democracy. I like to use this quote by Chris Crutcher to kick off that conversation. 

After students have unpacked democracy and freedom in this context, we use the ALA website to analyze why some books are challenged and/or banned. This analysis of why books are challenged and who is doing the challenging encourages students to think critically about issues of censorship. 

Students can learn about intellectual freedom, read about the banned concepts laws in the state where they live (or nearby states), attend panels where lawyers and authors speak about their experiences as advocates, and the like. Students can also write letters to the school board asking for books to be un-banned and re-included in the curriculum or on library shelves. The possibilities are endless.

Encouraging students, who are interested, in becoming an advocate for this issue is a critical step. October 7th is Let Freedom Read Day and here are a list of actions that anyone can take if they have 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes to take action and stand up for the right to read. 

This week at Vanderbilt, we are opening a Banned Books Little Library as a silent protest or act of activism. The texts available in the library are all banned/challenged books. Our goal is to provide access to material that might be censored. Additionally, there is a QR code on the door of the library that takes interested individuals to resources about Celebrating the Freedom to Read. A second event is a panel open to the public with a public librarian, public policy officer, teacher, author, LGBTQ rights advocate. 

​What events are you planning? How are you advocating for the freedom to read? 

Poetry was meant to be heard, but its reading aloud is difficult and requires practice for educators, students triply so.
 
Placing students in situations where they must read unfamiliar material aloud to classrooms via popcorn reading, reading in the order of their seating, small groups, or any other method is usually less than ideal.  Further, doing so is detrimental to poorer readers having more difficulty with pronunciation (true of anyone suddenly asked to perform), causing embarrassment and certainly lowering self-esteem. 
 
Generally, students are more concerned with their personal contribution rather than listening to others; before their turn they are focused upon what they are to read and afterwards, relieved to be finished, pay little attention to others.  Such types of reading aloud do not allow for much understanding or familiarity of the piece selected, or enjoyment.
 
Importance of Reading Aloud and Listening

• Engagement in expressive reading [enunciation, expression, tone, pausing, etc.] as reading the text as it was meant to be heard. 
• Develops stronger vocabularies and more sophisticated language structures [symbolism, nuances, reading in-between the lines, foreshadowing, etc.].  Listening to that which they may skip or misunderstand in print assists student understanding/knowledge.
• Increases attention spans, learning how to listen for important points, and listening to others.  Students have forgotten how to listen in our technology-heavy classrooms as information is often given to them.  Listening requires students to acquire needed information. 
• Assists in understanding more sophisticated pieces.
• Helps students visually picture a scene; those who are poorer readers or read infrequently tend not to visualize details (a character’s appearance, the events occurring during a party portrayed) while reading.
• Naturally, it provides more practice with the English language for ESL/ELL students.
• If done correctly, reading aloud and listening improve student skills and confidence.

Instructions and Examples
As with most new activities, begin with poetry that is easier to understand, allowing students’ prior understanding of terminology, meaning, etc.  The task here is having more than one read from the same poem and deciding which verse combination expresses the piece most effectively, and why. 
All poems are from Shel Silverstein.
Silverstein, S. (1974). Where the sidewalk ends. Evil Eye Music Inc.
Silverstein, S. (1981). A light in the attic. Evil Eye Music Inc.

• This activity may be completed on paper, using highlighters, or directly on the computer, then downloading and printing.  
• Students are placed into groups that equal the number of readers for each poem (2-3); two readers are generally best for shorter works and three for larger ones.
  • Groups may be given the same poem for comparison/contrast discussions, or different poems for each to hear a wider variety.
• After the group reads the poem, each selects their color (green, yellow, orange) and practice highlighting lines that will be read by each person.  After deciding upon its most effective reading, they should be able to state why this version was chosen.  Next is double-checking that each in the member has the same highlighted lines, followed by practicing reading aloud.
  • Once students become more confident with this activity, two or more may read the same line or lines.
• For reading, students should stand apart in the classroom, such as one on either side and the third at the back, one on both sides, etc.  This provides a stronger version to listeners, as they are focused upon hearing the poem rather than watching a group at the front.  It also eases reader embarrassment, as such placement removes the feeling of being on display.
• Students read the poem aloud to the class by the colors selected and the order appearing in the poem. 
• Whole class discussion can begin after each poem, or after all have been read, considering each separately.

How was each group’s highlighting different, and why?  Which was most effective, and why?
 
Examples

Tryin' On Clothes

​Recipe for a Hippopotamus Sandwich      

Today's post was written by Lisa A. Hazlett. Dr. Hazlett is a professor of secondary education at the University of South Dakota, where she teaches middle/secondary English language arts education courses and specializes in young adult literature regarding presentations and publications; special interests include gender issues and rural education. Her 2023 text, Teaching Diversity in Rural Schools: Attaining Understanding, Tolerance, and Respect Through Young Adult Literature, was published by Rowman & Littlefield, among numerous other publications centered on young adult literature.
​
She also serves and provides leadership for numerous NCTE assemblies, special interest groups, and committees, especially ELATE, and as an avid reviewer she regularly evaluates young adult literature novels and manuscripts for various journals and publishing houses. 
 

As Kimmerer offers us this “braid of stories" (p.27), developed through “deep attention to the living world, not only their names but also their songs (p.63)” we can see that stories and metaphors allow us to imaginatively engage with ecological concepts.  Kimmerer includes a number of Anishinaabe myths that illustrate principles such as the benefits of biological diversity and the dangers of over consumption.  Like Braiding Sweetgrass, How a Mountain was Made, by Greg Sarris also demonstrates the important role of indigenous knowledge in developing an environmentally literate understanding of place. Provided that the stories are shared respectfully and with the permission of the local tribes, they are invaluable sources of information from a people who have  lived symbiotically with the land for thousands of years. Sarris, the Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, in Northern California, and Distinguished Chair Emeritus at Sonoma State University, writes of “reading the landscape like a sacred text” where songs, (ie. stories) are perceived in every element of the environment.  Through his retelling of traditional Coast Miwok tales, Sarris lets mythological characters such as Coyote, Hawk and Hummingbird illustrate the delicate interrelationships among all living beings, including elements such as wind and water. ​

Sarris also provides insight on the nature of storytelling through Question Woman and Answer Woman, two sister crows, whose exchanges frame each story. As Answer Woman puts it, “stories teach us that we are all connected and equal on this Mountain - the humans, the plants and trees, birds, animals. The entire mountain, everything you see is really one ongoing story.” (p.55) I found that introducing the dialogue between the two crows as a device in the story diagramming process helped my students structure their visual narratives around the process of inquiry.  The effectiveness of visual narrative, in telling the story of place, can be further explored in Lauren Redniss’ book Oak Flat which explores the geologic, cultural and political history of a piece of ancestral Apache land in Arizona, slated to become a copper mine.  Told primarily in the voice of two families on opposing sides of the issue, Redness’ gorgeous drawings add a visual dimension to the written narrative and convey a deep understanding of the land through line, texture, color and form.​

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger, a Lipian Apache scientist and author, is a fantasy novel in the style of magical realism that also features a catastrophic climate-related event on Earth. The protagonists, Nina, an earthly teenager, and Oli, a cottonmouth snake from another world, come together by tragic circumstance. Their journey toward each other also reunites worlds that have been kept apart. Readers interested in restorying will appreciate how Little Badger draws on scientific knowledge and indigenous storytelling traditions to imbue worlds with meaning. Similar to Greek and Roman mythology, which is typically taught in schools to the exclusion of other rich stories and traditions, this novel includes shape-shifting animal/human characters to explore themes that help us understand what it means to be human. It includes explorations of the unique abilities of animals and the raw power of natural elements, such as water. In this scene, Oli (the cottonmouth) thinks about his home, “the reflection of a living world [Earth]”:

           “[Home] a place where water binds two worlds; where coyotes confide in monsters; where hawks and
            mockingbirds discern revelations from ancient trees; where my best friend basks in the sun beside me; and                          where…I search for the family I left behind.” 

Stories like The Last Cuentista, and A Snake Falls to Earth express the dynamic nature of traditional stories: They adapt.

Ultimately,  these texts inspire us to become what Kimmerer calls, “indigenous to place”,  whether we are native or not, by cultivating our own metaphors and stories, specific to the places we inhabit.  Doing so allows students to establish a creative dialogue with the local environment that moves from deep observation and classification to a unique evaluation developed through imaginative invention and, and eventually to an analysis of place that (hopefully) results in a protective appreciation of the ecological systems that support their homes and communities.  Getting students outside of the classroom, exploring local places, is fundamental to this process and researching historical and contemporary land issues can add an interesting perspective. Finally,  taking part in a habitat restoration project on the school campus allows students to transform their school into a supporting element within a greater ecosystem,  while developing a unique language of place that makes them truly environmentally literate. 
​
Regardless of whether or not the No Child Left Inside Act of 2023 is passed and enacted into law (I will remain cautiously optimistic!), environmental literacy is a crucial skill for today's students who will inherit the consequences of previous generations' ecological indifference. The good news is that integrating environmental literacy into our curriculum through connecting with stories, places and indigenous wisdom is a meaningful practice that guides students to develop a hopeful and sustainable relationship with the natural world. ​

                                                         

Discussing poetry can be difficult with students, especially as teachers often begin with “What does this poem mean?” and similar questions.  Unfortunately, as they are seeking that one correct answer few students want to respond with most immediately looking down at their desktop.  Even worse, if a student ventures a reply and told it’s incorrect, few will want to follow.  Educators finally state their translation, something students know they’ll hear if waiting long enough, so poetry discussion isn’t always productive.  Of course, many poems have obvious meanings, but others do not or could be referring to several things and open to interpretation.
 
For poetry discussion to occur at all, students must feel comfortable expressing themselves and feel that their contributions are valid and important.  Teachers must also be careful to include all students, not just the same ones always eager to speak, with this exercise allowing everyone to share.  Once completed, the poem will have been discussed and analyzed by the students and teacher.

Directions

• Place the poem on class computer screen (or otherwise distribute) and ask, “Which WORD is MOST important and why?” with the teacher beginning by stating his/her selection and the reason for it.

• Students then share their word and reason, with many words the same but the reasons for their selection different, an ideal opportunity for comparison/contrast discussion.  Likewise, those words that are lesser selected provide an even richer view of the piece.

• As words are being shared and discussed, the teacher can contribute other information about the poem, such as noting hyperbole, rhyme scheme, alliteration, and so on.

• By the time students have shared and discussed, the poem should be thoroughly understood and remembered.  Poetry is meant to be heard, with this activity allowing for a thoughtful and thorough interpretation of a poem.

• This works with any reading; novels, plays, or short stories, as students can determine which scene, chapter, event, etc. is deemed most important, and why.

• One should begin with less complicated poetry before introducing more sophisticated pieces.  For these, and much longer poems, one may want to break into separate parts for discussion and then connecting all commentary to the whole.

 
Examples (and some student responses)
Below are some less-complicated (yet strikingly evocative) poems for introducing this activity. 
 
All are from Harrison, D. (1999). Wild country. Boyds Mills Press.
 
Poems selected are below, with the educator’s response shared first in red.  It should be noted that each time completing this activity, a different word may be seen as most important.  This should be conveyed to students, showing that understanding/appreciation deepens and varies with familiarity.  Poems aren’t meant to be read only once or twice. 
​
Seagulls                                                           
Mewling like cats                                                         
they fly all day                                     
this way and that                                              
crying (because it shows sadness and living each day constantly searching)
for lost balls of yarn.    
 
Wolf
One wolf
in a field
in full light--
 
One wolf
in full view
like a big dog,
shaggy, gray,
but
 
it’s a wolf,
casual
about being a wolf,
 
moving one foot at a time
through tall grass,
hunting. (This is a frightening word and reminds us that a wolf is a predator/killer, not just a large dog.)
 
Eyes of the Forest 
Boats throb by
the endless shore                                              
as people gasp at whales                       
and point to porpoises.                          
 
They do not see                                    
the proud heads,                                               
white dots                                                        
on green boughs.
                                                                       
The silent forest                                   
watches with                                        
its eagle eyes.  (This reminds us the forest is always watching, very closely and carefully.  It sees everything.)
 
Glacier
River of blue-cold ice
frozen in slow motion
flowing an inch a day
 
You polish mountains
scoop out basins
sculpt valleys
An inch a day (Such a small amount—but it shows how slowly, yet persistently, landscapes are formed.)
and inch a day
and you’re not done.
 
Vapor Trails
Vapor trails crisscross the blue
chalkboard sky in
rail-straight lines
 
Gradually lose their taut fitness
their laser focus
their dedication
 
Dwindle to wandering wisps
that fade away
like tissue
on a pond
 
Vapor trails set out importantly
but soon (The vapor trails act importantly, but they disappear quickly.  Attention doesn’t last!)
they’re
gone.
 

 
Lisa A. Hazlett is professor of secondary education at the University of South Dakota, where she teaches middle/secondary English language arts education courses and specializes in young adult literature regarding presentations and publications; special interests include gender issues and rural education. Her 2023 text, Teaching Diversity in Rural Schools: Attaining Understanding, Tolerance, and Respect Through Young Adult Literature, was published by Rowman & Littlefield, among numerous other publications centered on young adult literature.

She also serves and provides leadership for numerous NCTE assemblies, special interest groups, and committees, especially ELATE, and as an avid reviewer she regularly evaluates young adult literature novels and manuscripts for various journals and publishing houses. 
 

 

My student teaching began with a challenge from my cooperating teacher. She invited me to step in at the end of a novel unit in her AP Literature and Composition class and lead the class through a review of the book. My first response was excitement. She was trusting me to take over an advanced class. And she’d given me total freedom in designing my lesson. My second response was panic. She was trusting me to take over an advanced class. And
​she’d given me total freedom in designing my lesson. 

I realized quickly that freedom meant all the decisions were mine. What to talk about? What not to talk about? And how to engage students with the chosen material?  

Oh, and the novel in question?  Jane Eyre. But how to review a novel of over 500 pages in a single 90 minute class period? 
I decided to focus on the titular character. Jane’s journey of self-realization parallels the author’s own and is what makes the book so relatable for readers. To help students better understand Jane’s growth over the course of the novel, I divided them into pairs or trios and assigned each small group a pivotal moment from Jane’s journey to study in detail. I then gave each group a copy of my Stick Figure Snapshot activity. 

While most of the character studies and body biographies I’ve seen used in the classroom offer a holistic look at each character, encouraging students to pull details from anywhere in the text to support their analysis, Stick Figure Snapshot is designed to help students analyze who a character is at a particular moment in time. Rather than simply asking students to describe a character, I ask students to answer ten questions about their assigned character within their assigned moment/page limit: 

1. What is the character doing? 
2. What is the character thinking?
3. What does the character hear?
4. What does the character see? 
5. What does the character say? 
6. How is the character feeling?
7. What is/are the character’s strength/s?
8. What does the character want/need?
9. Where is the character going?
10. What is the character’s greatest weakness? 

Intentionally, some of the questions are straightforward while others require the reader to draw inferences from the text in order to make claims about the character. While you could stop there, I require my students to provide a quote from the text to support their answers. Once students have completed their stick figures, I also have them present their work to the class, or we post them on the walls and conduct a gallery walk.

This activity has been a staple in my teaching for three reasons: generalizability, ease of use, and versatility.

I have used this assignment in nearly every English class I have taught, from 7th grade ELA to AP Lit. The generic nature of the questions make them applicable to any text. To name a few, I have used a Stick Figure Snapshot with Ender’s Game, The Hunger Games, Frankenstein, Macbeth, and a variety of short stories and even nonfiction texts. My students have also used this assignment with their own choice texts during independent reading projects as a way to highlight key moments in their character’s development. 

Stick Figure Snapshot is one of the lowest prep activities in my teacher toolbox. While students can be allowed to choose their own scenes to analyze, I find that the assignment works best when I choose the scenes and their page limits. The scene/page limits selection can take some time, but it is relatively quick work when you are familiar with the text, and once you have a list of pivotal scenes, this assignment becomes one that you can implement with essentially no prep at all.

Depending on the levels and needs of your students, you can easily adjust the assignment to meet your learning goals. It can be scaled down or up via text/character selection and by modifying the answer requirements for students (e.g. copying from the text, using their own words, integrating quotes into full sentence responses, etc.). You can also ask students to move beyond the literal in their responses to each question (e.g. instead of merely hearing something said by another character, they might hear a betrayal, a promise, a secret, etc.). 

Students can trace the development of one character across an entire text or analyze multiple characters in a single scene to break down interpersonal conflict and get a better handle on perspective and character motivation. This activity could be particularly helpful with understanding character development in books like Robin Benway’s A Year to the Day that employ an unusual narrative structure (in this case, telling the story in reverse chronological order) as it would allow students to reverse engineer a character’s development arc.

While initially designed as a lesson for a single class period, Stick Figure Snapshot can be customized and used as a foundation for a variety of other activities and discussions either as students are reading or after they have completed a text. I have also found it to be a great introduction to close reading and textual analysis. Its simplicity makes it accessible for students of all levels to complete independently or in groups. Just as anyone can draw a stick figure, anyone can engage in character analysis.

Samantha Duke is a doctoral student at North Carolina State University studying Literacy and English Language Arts Education. Before beginning her graduate studies, she taught English at both the middle and high school levels.