Creating Student Authors

Creating Student Authors in Your Classroom

As the school year draws to a close, I am pleased to say “I did it again”. What did I do? Simple. I inspired my students to write and love it. I am a writer. I have published several books on Amazon, and my students know this. I have talked about writing, and my love writing. I had my students write, but I didn’t turn it into a chore. And, guess what? This year, I have 4 girls who have started working on their own books. I have 2 that are actively working on writing poems. Hooray! Last year, I also turned several of my students into writers.

So, don’t give up hope. You can get your students to write and to love it. How? Model writing. Let your students see you writing. Talk about how much fun it is. Start a classroom blog. Work on a book together as a class. Praise what they write. Offer a little advice on their writing. I never criticize what they have written. I offer pointers, and let them go from there. Of course, if they are writing an essay for class, I grade it. But, if they are writing things on their own, I don’t grade. I only encourage.

Another important thing that I do with my students is introduce them to new vocabulary words. I use word walls. I play vocabulary games and vocabulary drills. I use the new vocabulary words often in class. I substitute common words for the new vocabulary words. I give away extra points to the students I catch using the new vocabulary words. These words eventually began to show up in their everyday conversations and in their writing.

To get my students excited about writing, I provide them with opportunities to have their work published. I send some of their best work to the local newspaper for publication. I submit their papers to writing contests. I even provide them with the submission pages and guidelines for teen magazines.

So, as I close this year out, I want to shout “Hooray!” My students are writing and loving it.

You can check out some of my writing journals at my Tpt store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/2cute-Classrooms

Creative Ideas for Teaching Fairytales in High School

Fairytales are for children, right? Yes, small children do enjoy fairytales. Parents and teachers can use them to teach young children about friendship, values, and morals. However, it doesn’t have to stop there. Fairytales can be used with older children. In fact, high school English teachers can use fairytales in their classrooms. The following are great ways to turn fairytales into learning instruments.

Identify story elements

A secondary English teacher can use fairytales in order to teach their students to identify story elements.  I like to have my students do this using a graph organizer. With the graphic organizer, I have them list the different story elements from the fairytale.

Complete plot lines

High school students can find it difficult to identify the climax of many stories or novels. It order to help make this easier, I like to have my students practice identifying the plot sequence using fairytales and plot lines. Once the students have read the fairytale, I have them write a brief summary of the fairytale. The students can then take that summary and identify the different parts of the plot and place them on the plot line.

Creative writing

Fairytales are fun and comforting. Most high school students will have heard the fairytales before and be familiar with them. Many fairytales have several different versions. I use fairytales to help their students think creatively. The students can take those old, familiar fairytales and changing them around or creating alternative endings.

Vocabulary

Fairytales can even be used to teach students vocabulary. How?  Have the students replace some of the simple words in the fairytale with more complex words. This forces the student to locate and correctly use synonyms.

Comparison and contrast

Students can be taught comparison and contrast using fairytales. I assign my students to take two different fairytales or two different fairytale authors and compare and contrast them. The students can do this in an informative essay or on a graphic organizer.  

Journal writing

Everything can be turned into a writing project, and fairytales definitely can. Have the students to reflect on the fairytale and how it relates to real-life events in the news or in their own lives. The students can also discuss any lessons or morals that they have learned from the fairytales.

Problem solving

Fairytales can also be used to teach problem-solving. I can assign their students a fairytale, have them identify the problem or conflict in the story, and then brainstorm alternative ways to resolve the conflict in the story.

Yes, high school English teachers can use fairytales in their classroom. They can use them to teach their students creative writing, problem solving, story elements, and vocabulary skills.

Other Articles to Read: 

Using Fairytales to Teach Argumentative Writing

https://2cuteclassroom.blogspot.com/2025/02/using-fairytales-to-teach-argumentative.html

My Teachers Pay Teachers products: 

https://2cuteclassroom.com/how-to-incorporate-fairytales-in-your-lessons/

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Comma-Usage-Introductory-Words-Fairytale-Themed-Task-Cards-2457325

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fairytale-Themed-Plot-Line-Game-2894297

How to Foster a Love of Writing in Your Students

 

 

The first of school, my students could have cared less about writing. It was not something that they did often, and when they did have to complete a writing assignment, they didn’t like it. Now, school is almost over for the year, and I can’t get them to think about much else. They write and write often. And, the great thing is that I don’t have to tell them to write. In fact, they write on their own, and they can’t wait for me to critique their work. So, how did I get those reluctant writers to begin writing more?

Be an Example

As a teacher, we must lead by example. My students know that I loved to write. They also know that I write often. It helped that I write for the local newspaper, and many of my students had read some of my articles. They later learned that I write on-line and blog. I frequently shared with them the reasons that I love to write. I talked passionately about my writing, and my students saw my excitement and wanted to be a part of it.

Publish Student Work

Many of my students did not know that they could have their writings published. So, when they saw my writing on-line, they became motivated to write their own short stories, poems, and articles. I then made it a point to submit their work to any and every writing contest that they qualified for. Yes, it was a lot of work. However, it was worth it. A few of my students won writing contests and were recognized for their work. This help to make the other students work harder and write more.

Encourage Expression

Even though my students are pre-teens, they are very opinionated. They loved to let you know what they think and how they feel. So, I let them. No, I don’t let them their feelings out or disrupt my class. Instead,  I have them transfer their feelings to a journal or diary.

Use the Local Newspaper

Because my students know I write for the local newspaper, they are always telling me about things that are going on in the community or in the school. Instead of grabbing the scoop myself, I encourage them to compose new stories on their own. These are critiqued, and if they are interesting, I submit them to the local paper.

Getting students interested in writing can be difficult. However, I have found that if you show your students how much you love writing and the world opportunities that it can open up, they too will develop a love for writing.