Reading Together:  Finding and Forming a YA Literature Community

920.02 (2 credits)

July 8-12, 8:15am-2:30pm in person.

Instructor: Laura Smith

The Teen Librarian Toolbox of the School Library Journal website estimates that major publishers debut around 1800 first-run young adult literature titles per year.  How can English language arts teachers possibly keep up?  And even if we could, how would we match these YA books to readers, or bring these emerging titles into meaningful conversation within the classroom community? 

In Reading Together, we’ll explore the appeal of the ever-growing young adult literature options by reading selections that offer insight and vicarious experience into adolescence.  We’ll also identify reading programs and resources (such as the Global Read Aloud, YALSA, or pedagogical texts on teaching YA literature) that provide helpful resources for finding book matches for independent reading or starting points for thematic units.  Finally, we’ll also consider fun activities and approaches for incorporating YA literature into the classroom.

During this class, we’ll have the chance to read one YA book together and another as part of a book club, and to delve into a pedagogical text of your choosing.   In sharing our reading and exploration, we’ll gather a range of titles, resources, connections, and activities to share with—and engage—students.

Writing With and For Your Students: A Workshop-Based Approach

922.01 (2 credits) 

July 8-12th, 8:15am-2:30pm in person

Instructor: Ryan Bani Tahmaseb

In this immersive workshop, we’ll explore the transformative impact of modeling and sharing our own writing process with our students. Through writing exercises, selected readings, and collaborative discussions, we’ll navigate the balance of being both a mentor and fellow writer in the classroom. Throughout the workshop, we will select and complete writing assignments from our own curricula and immerse ourselves in drafting and sharing our progress and final copies. We will craft both exemplary and intentionally subpar examples of writing in the specific genres that we teach, creating ready-to-share mentor texts and corresponding lessons. This approach will also help us demystify the drafting and revising processes for our students and model the vulnerability required to share original writing in a group setting. This workshop is designed for educators who are excited to embark on, or continue, their own writing journeys while embodying the creative process for and with their students.