A Blog of Seattle Arts & Lectures
By Clare Hodgson Meeker, WITS Writer-in-Residence Don’t ask kids what they want to be when they grow up but what problems do they want to solve. ―Jaime Casap, Google Global Education Evangelist On my first day of a nine-week residency with third graders at Whittier Elementary, I gathered the students on a bright throw rug […]
By Matt Gano, WITS Writer-in-Residence when the poems with long lines salted raw on page make you aware of your meat, mark them with an asterisk, for the sky she fills with ink Over the past year, fellow writer Aaron Counts and I have had the privilege of mentoring Seattle’s first Youth Poet Laureate (YPL), […]
By Nikkita Oliver, WITS Writer-in-Residence Sitting in a tiny interview room, Jeanine Walker asks me, “How do you feel about working with middle school students?” My gut instinct? “Oh, no way.” My professional interview response? “I prefer high school students.” The outcome: I am currently a writer-in-residence at Washington Middle School—and I love it! For […]
Meet Nichole Coates, SAL’s brand new WITS Program Associate! Passionate about supporting the talents, aspirations and abilities of youth from all backgrounds, she has spent the last several years teaching literacy, leadership and social emotional learning to youth in communities from Wisconsin to White Center. We asked Nichole five questions about her new role with WITS, how […]
By Imani Sims, WITS Writer-in-Residence It is Day Six in a ten-day intensive with middle school students who have the best examples of poetic devices: “What is a Metaphor?” A shy hand goes up and I call on them. “A comparison between two things not using like or as.” “Good! Can anyone give me an […]
The Numbers There’s this tree I see every day I count every little baby bird one… two… three… four… perfect little birds I keep walking thinking about all the homework I have counting out every assignment
By Katy E. Ellis, WITS Writer-in-Residence My first year as a WITS instructor, I handwrote each day’s plan in a small red notebook that I toted to the kindergarten classes at Broadview-Thomson K-8. This year, I referred back to those lessons and added new lessons to the notebook, which I carried like a security blanket to […]
“Ever since Daemond started coming to my third period class, I have found a healthy way to express my emotions and thoughts. I look forward to being taught by him every Friday and learning why writing poetry really matters.” These words come from a ninth-grade WITS student at Franklin High; they’re only a minute sampling of […]
By Vicky Edmonds, WITS Writer-in-Residence Hearing the poetry of children has been one of the most meaningful experiences in my life. I am awestruck at getting to hear that kind of sincerity nearly every day. It’s why I remain a teaching artist after 26 years, even though it’s the most challenging work I’ve ever done. […]
Burning When you tease me, I feel like I’m burning, and you lock the oven with words like, “I hate you.” As I burn, I try to put out the flames with tears, but you just laugh. Sometimes I put the flames out on others. I think the flames will go out, but they just […]