Quotes to PonderWriting is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words. ~ Mark TwainFill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

~ William Wordsworth

Paddy Eger

Educating America

News on Schools

Spring, 2016 Volume 16:1A Newsletter Supporting k-8 Classroom Volunteerism

This quarter’s newsletter is focused onWays to Jazz Up Creative Writing

Students are often asked to create a story using their imaginations. This newsletter will provide ideas to inspire educators, classroom assistants, students and parents.

It’s a win-win for everyone!

Ways to Jazz Up Creative WritingThe assignment: write a story. “Use your imagination. Write in any genre. Add inter-esting details. Focus on creating a strong beginning, middle, and ending.” Now what?

Make a plan to answer: What will I write about? How will I start? What elements do I need to include? Let’s look at these three basics of story writing. (For details on writing not addressed here, consult a book or online resource on writing with students, or check out my resources listed under Online Support on page 3.)

What will I write about? How do I start?

Begin thinking about what you like and know. What interests you? sports? car-toons? your family? book characters? movies? Use what you know to focus your ideas. This doesn’t mean you copy a storyline; it means you use it to help you narrow down topics that interest you.

Next, find a way to organize you ideas. It might be an 8-square paper with 1 drawing in each box to show the order of scenes in your story. Or, you may use a graphic organizer or a web to get down your thoughts. The form is not as import-ant as getting down your ideas in a loose order.

What elements do I need to include?

The checklist on page 2 in the newsletter is one way to keep track of the elements you need in your story. Beginnings of stories need to hook readers and keep them reading or listening. The middle of a story needs a clear problem and several attempts to solve that problem. Endings allow the reader to feel the story has reached a satisfactory conclusion. It contains answers to the problems and lets the characters move forward.

Characters, verbs, sensory details, and proper arrangement of details make the story interesting. Here’s where a reader/students editor/adult listener helps. Stories need to be read aloud for their authors to catch errors and add details. ...continued on page 2

Ways to Jazz Up Creative Writing 1

Quotes to Ponder 1

About Me 2

How to Write a Really Cool Fiction Story 2

Resources 3

One Way to Look at It 3

Need inspiration? 3

Final Notes 3

Looking for Ideas to Train Para Educators Cassroom Volunteers 4

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How to Write a Really Cool Fiction Story

___ Brainstorm ideas for a story.

___ Select 1 or more characters to star in your story. Who?

___ Select an interesting setting: place, time, season. Where? When?

___ Select interesting problems to solve (3 or more are best) What? Why?

___ Problem #1 ___ Problem #3 BIGGEST problem

___ Problem #2 ___ Other Problems

___ Write a Rough Draft (skip lines to allow for changes!!)

___ Story Checklist (Check 3 times: by self, with a student editor, with an adult editor)

__ __ __ beginning, middle, and ending

__ __ __ characters are interesting

__ __ __ active, interesting verbs

__ __ __ sentences make sense and LIMIT:

use of an, and then, then, next,

repeating the same idea and words over and over

__ __ __ interesting details and adjectives

__ __ __ use of senses: hear, see, smell, touch, taste

__ __ __ use & indent proper paragraphs

__ __ __ proper punctuation (periods, commas, quotation marks, etc.)

__ __ __ proper capitalization

ReREAD one more time. Make changes. Send to be printed

My name is Paddy Eger. I’m a retired teacher, a volunteer trainer, a classroom volunteer, a blogger and a writer across several genre. When I’m not writing YA novels, my focus is on encouraging adults to volun-teer in classroomsOne of the greatest pleasures of my week is stepping into classrooms to support teachers and students. I’m one of those retired educators who can’t stay away. I enjoy helping students with reading and writing and watching the ah-ha’s light up their faces.As you read through this news-letter I hope you will share your ideas and comments with me through my email Paddy@Pad-dyEger.comYou are invited to share this information with other interest-ed persons. All I ask is that you credit me as your source and include my website address. —Thanks.

Find me on:

Volume 16:1 Spring, 2016News on Schools

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...continued from page 1

After another read-through by the author, the story is ready to be published: printed, typed or shared in its final form. It’s a multi-step process, but each step will add depth and produce a stronger product.

ONLINE SUPPORT: For story writing materials and organizers, please check out my free downloads from www.paddyeger.com.

Writing Downloads include: Writing Genres, Story Plotting Basics, Word Search of Writing Tools, Ways Characters Act, Writing Clues, Instead of (synonyms for everyday words), Student Fiction Writing Checklist, and FRESH Writing Ideas for the End of the Year.

Need Inspiration for Writing? It’s as close as your fingertips

1. Write about YOU: your hands, your eyes, your smile, your shoe, your hat/cap, your pen, the jewelry you’re wearing or your favorite place to go on vacation.

2. Open a book. Select one photo, drawing, or word to use to start your thinking.

3. Open a book. Copy down a sentence. Use it as the first line in a story.

I want to hear from you!Tell me about your adult assistant achievements, successes and challenges.

I welcome your feedback, ideas for future news-letter content and contact information for any-one you would like to receive this free resource.

I’m available for interviews, speaking, training seminars and guest blogging.

Write me at Paddy@PaddyEger.com or call 425- 420-5161 for more information.

One Way to Look at It (Q&A)My son has poor penmanship and lousy spelling. That makes writing a challenge. He has great ideas but by the time he gets them on paper, much of what he wanted to say has slipped away.

FrustratedDear Frustrated,

First, ask his teachers if you may act as his secretary when he needs to write a story at home. If that is allowed, then sit down with him and have him dictate his story to you. Ask questions, but only to clarify what he’s said. It is his story and needs to remain so.

Next, have him read it aloud, make word changes, and add details to strengthen it.

Finally, have him copy the final version/revision onto a clean sheet of paper or onto his computer whichever meets the teacher’s expec-tation. When you act as a recorder you free your son to focus on creating story details without worrying about his penmanship or spelling.

Give these ideas a try. For more suggestions visit Educating America, the education section of my website which is paddyeger.com.

Paddy

Resources on WritingBooks:

• Rip the Page!: Adventures in Creative Writing Paperback by Karen Benke • Don’t Forget to Write for the Elementary Grades: 50 Enthralling and Effective Writing Lessons

(Ages 5 to 12) 1st Edition - Jennifer Traig (Editor) • The Everything Creative Writing Book by Wendy Burt-Thomas

FINAL NOTESWriting is a necessary, life-long skill. While writing fiction may only be of use in creative writing classes, the story checklist details suggested by How to Write a Really Cool Fiction Story apply to most thoughtful writing.

Be watching for quarterly newsletters from Educating America. Sign-up for future free copies on the website - and read back copies there as well.

News on Schools Volume 16:1 Spring, 2016

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Educating America101 Strategies

for Adult Assistants in k-8 Classrooms

ISBN: 978-0-9831587-5-2

Educating AmericaDesktop Flipbook

ISBN: 978-0-9858933-1-6

Educating AmericaGetting Started

ISBN: 978-0-9858933-6-1

4

Looking for Ideas to Train Para Educators or Classroom Volunteers? Training classroom support takes more time than most educators have available. Let me help. Book a training session today!! * Sessions are tailor-made to meet your needs. * Presentations are hands-on and interactive. * Training sessions range from 45 minutes to 3 hours.

Want details? Contact me, Paddy Eger, at 425-420-5161 (west coast business hours).Plan now for the end of the year or next fall. Together we’ll create a plan that works for you.

Educating America materials provide quick and easy ideas!They include the award-winning Educating America: 101 Strategies for Adults in K-8 Classrooms, a desktop flipbook and a workbook. Take a look inside each when you visit www.paddyeger.com and select the Educating America portion of the website.

The book and flip book are available from your favorite bookstores, Tendril Press, and online sources for ebooks. At this time, the workbook is only available through my website www.paddyeger.com or by contacting me directly at 425-420-5161.

Looking for additional ideas and projects? Check out my materials online as seen on www.TeachersPayTeachers.com and on www.TeachersNotebook.com Both resources also provide parent ideas as well as information for educators.