A video series to encourage and support children as writers
Presented by Regie Routman and Gail Boushey
I believe most of us educators want to do something to make a positive difference for students and their families. Inequity issues have distressed me for all the decades I’ve been teaching and coaching. Almost all of that work has been in high poverty schools where students are typically underserved. But these times are different; there is even more urgency, worry, anxiety, fear, and trauma. We all feel it. But what to do to be of service?
Gail Boushey and I met in person about four years ago and took an immediate liking to each other, which developed into a warm, deep friendship and bond. Our work together started when I wrote a Tip of the Week for her about a project I was working on to give blank notebooks to students in Seattle’s neediest schools, an easy and equitable writing idea to help bridge the digital divide. From there, it was a natural progression for us to team up to show you via video how teachers and families might use writing—in this case poetry writing—as a positive and meaningful way to go on learning. You can also view the videos at: https://www.thedailycafe.com/content/nurturing-writers-through-poetry-0.
There are six videos in the sequence. Our hope is that you see writing possibilities for yourself, your students, and your children and that you feel supported as writers and teachers of writing. May your efforts lead to success, enjoyment, and even some calm in your classroom.
—Regie
