Poetic Justice

Spring break is here, even if you can't tell so by looking out the window.  The dissertation process is stressing me out, and I'm only two weeks in. Shoot. Me. Now.  However, today's blog is devoted to my creative writing class!  I picked up an extra class third trimester, and it happens to be creative writing.  Honestly, I wasn't sure where to begin as I had never taught it before.  Luckily, Caelea and Kelli both have and continue to teach creative writing, and they were able to give me some helpful suggestions. 

What I'm learning quick, is that I love creative writing because there are NO standards, no standardized tests, no mini assessments, and nothing else polluting the ability of learning to take place in my room. It's a teacher's dream. I have 14 students and most of them enjoy being there even if they hadn't selected it as an elective.  I have a few drop ins that are attendance issues, but overall, I have a fantastic group of students to work with. Did I mention that they're ridiculously creative? 

I've found a lot of great ideas on the internet, but I'm trying to figure out how to bring in non-traditional literature into the mix.  If anyone has ideas for readings that I could use in my class, please let me know. I also want to play with some art inspiration.  I had planned on publishing our first magazine through issuu, but I was having technical difficulties getting one of the submissions in the final Word document. I will definitely have it up and running the Tuesday I get back to school and am excited to share their first bits of writing with others.

As for me, I've taken to writing the warm ups with them, and I honestly think it's helped me tap into my creative side again.  It's been refreshing and energizing and cleansing. Here is a warm up piece from yesterday.  Perhaps I'll come back to it and do some revising, but for now, it's just a piece of me. 


I long for freedom like a child yearns for its mother.  I'm not trapped or enclosed by bars or concrete walls, but I am surrounded by responsibilities that threaten to consume my every breath.  Pressure to succeed, a dissertation to write, students to teach, bills to pay, nagging student loan debt. Deadlines, due dates, cloudy skies, do this-do that. I long for open roads, blue skies, the smell of the salty ocean air.  I want to run for as long as I want, free from the time constraints of my daily grind.  I want to drink my coffee slowly, savoring its richness, its deep aroma that brings comfort, rather than having to down it in a minute flat.  I want to sit outside and wake up slowly, not to the sound of an alarm.  I want to look in the mirror and be content with what I see. I want to climb sand dunes and explore clay pits.  I want to lick an ice cream cone and bask in the sun.  I want to be free from the chains that bind called life.