Advanced Institute: Joy in Teachers Learning from Teachers

Today on the campus of the University of Idaho an Advanced Institute for NIWP began. The focus of the class is to prepare NIWP teacher consultants to and present workshops on topics focused on literacy to area schools in northern Idaho and eastern Washington.There is joy in teachers learning from teachers.

Images of the NIWP Leadership Retreat

Last week-end the NIWP leadership team gathered in Spokane for a retreat. Our team is comprised of people with passion for this writing project and a deep commitment to teaching and learning.

 Goals were set, tasks were volunteered, great food was enjoyed, and a birthday was even celebrated.

 Bev is organizing the summer writing retreat on Coeur d' Alene Lake.

 Rodney serves as the NIWP Director through the University of Idaho. April to his left facilitates these meetings and also works at keeping the website updated. Barbara to his right is representing our site at the regional networking meeting this summer.

 Carol at the end of the table works hard at inservice and planning the spring conference. Bonnie organizes a Young Author's Conference in St. Anthony each November, and Sherry will be doing inservice this summer for teachers in north Idaho. She also was our gracious hostess for the retreat.

We also had to help Sherry celebrate an early birthday while we were there. I am the person behind the camera and one of my tasks  is to keep this blog going! Christy

To learn more about NIWP visit us at www.niwp.org or visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

Pulizer Winner Kathleen Parker Thanks a NWP Teacher

 When Kathleen Parker was awarded the Pulizer Prize recently for Commentary she thanked a teacher.  The teacher she paid tribute to  is  James Gasque, a high school English teacher who is part of the Midlands Writing Project at the University of South Carolina. Here is the column a friend of mine referred me to last week when I spoke of attending the Northwest Inland Writing Project Leadership Retreat. This is a good read!
 Pulitzer Prize Winner Thanks Writing Project Teacher - National Writing Project

Why We Write

Why We Write

By Julia Cameron

There are many things which resist naming,

And that is why we write.
We write because language is slippery,
And the truth is.
We write because
The light we have to see by
Is always shifting
Never forget that writers are prophets.
We speak in tongues.
We testify.
We are for each other a believing mirror.
Our words make us visible.
Our listening makes us heard.

Never forget that writers are soldiers.
Our writing is the long march,
The walk into time.
Each word is a drum.
We sound it across great distances,
Reaching one another and ourselves.
Every poem is a day's march.
A celebration more necessary than water or wine.
Every poem is a drink of blood.

Never forget that writing is an act of courage - 

Not on the days when it is simple and we discount it.
Not on the days when it is hard and we write like sand.
Our words are torches.
We pass them hand to hand
And mouth to mouth
Like a burning kiss.

Never forget to say thank you.
Every syllable is a grace.

Come and Join Us For Our Annual Writing Retreat

Join fellow writers and visiting author Bill Woolum on the shores of Lake Coeur d' Alene for writing, learning and relaxation for the NIWP annual writing retreat in July. The event will be held Monday, July 12th-Friday, July 16th 2010.  This retreat includes workshops with the writer, time to write and conference with other participants, and uninterrupted time for thinking, writing, reading, and reflecting. You can learn more about this retreat by going here.

To learn more about our visiting writer you can visit his blog at www.kelloggbloggin.blogspot.com

April is National Poetry Month

To learn more about National Poetry Month go to www.poets.org

Gathering Leaves

There are so many poems that work well for writing centering around the season of autumn. Here is a favorite of mine you might be able to use in some way for your own inspiration or with your students.

Gathering Leaves

by Robert Frost

Spades take up leaves
No better than spoons,
And bags full of leaves
Are light as balloons.

I make a great noise
Of rustling all day
Like rabbit and deer
Running away.

But the mountains I raise
Elude my embrace,
Flowing over my arms
And into my face.

I may load and unload
Again and again
Till I fill the whole shed,
And what have I then?

Next to nothing for weight,
And since they grew duller
From contact with earth,
Next to nothing for color.

Next to nothing for use.
But a crop is a crop,
And who's to say where
The harvest shall stop?