A gentle, fun introduction to storytelling, this class is perfect for the budding writer who needs a little help clarifying their ideas as well as students who need to grow their writing confidence.

We'll begin each class (approximately ten minutes) by coming up with a character and a problem-- these are the two absolutely essential ingredients for every story. I'll guide the class with specific, ever-changing themes each week-- for example, we may come up with a fantasy-themed character/problem one week, but an animal-themed one the next, and a sports-themed one the week after that. We'll then discuss the different parts of a story, touching on the purpose of a beginning, middle, climax, and end.

We'll spend at least twenty minutes quietly working on our individual stories! While students can ask me questions during this time, we'll try to keep quiet so everyone can focus on their work. Everyone will be writing a story about the same character and problem, but everyone will have a different idea of how the story itself should go!

Each student will be invited-- though 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥-- to read their work aloud for the class and show any illustrations they've made. Students who are shy can opt out of reading if they'd like, but I'll gently ask them to summarize their story for us (which typically leads to them wanting to share the whole she-bang!). Each student will receive positive feedback from me (experienced students may receive some gentle constructive criticism), and I'll encourage classmates to respond with Zoom emojis about one another's stories.

If your student is hesitant to read out loud, please know that I keep the tone light, encouraging, and low-pressure. If they choose not to read, there is no shaming or pleading on my part-- I tell them that's perfectly okay, ask them what the story is about, and move along. I have taught many children who are shy about reading aloud over the years, and pride myself on creating a space so supportive that eventually, they all end up proudly reading their work aloud!

Above all, students will be encouraged to have fun and treat writing as a form of play. This is a great, gentle class to introduce younger students to the concept of creative writing-- or to remind reluctant writers that not all writing has to be scary, perfect, or boring.