Public School Writing Teachers

[Loud_G]

I did creative writing twice in my public school career. I had to write a story in 4th grade (I think or maybe 3rd) and another in 10th grade. The 10th grade experience was the reason why I started writing.  It was my first fantasy short story. I would have like to have had more opportunities, but I'm glad for the few I did get

Also, for the record, Algebra, dividing by zero, and sedimentary rock are not useless things to learn. I use all of those things in my field (I'm a GIS Analyst and Cartographer). The teachers don't know what fields each student is going to eventually choose, so they teach a little bit of everything.

[Shaggy]

Point taken. But there are some things that are useful only on a test of that subject. Example: the Reflexive Property. Do you know what that is? The Reflexive Property is that a=a. Pretty obvious.

[The Jade Knight]

And guess what?  Creative writing is pretty useful in Brandon's field.  Just about any subject they teach in school could be useful in the right field.  Doesn't validate teaching it to the general public.

[Shaggy]

Yes, it is. Which is pretty much the point I was trying to make.

[Loud_G]

Hmmm.... there's an echo in here


I agree, I would have liked to have been required to write at least one short story per year. Unfortunately not everyone would agree. In 10th grade we were required to write a 2 page short story. Most of the class groaned and complained. I wrote a 26 page short story and loved it. (Though, I DID feel sorry for the guy that had to read and critique my story....)

[Fellfrosch]

I was doing creative writing in school since second grade (Lowell Elementary, Salt Lake City, UT). I think there's more of this out there than you think, it just wasn't at your school.

[Shaggy]

Sorry about that; I don't know what happened.

Haha, yeah I do, too. I agree.

Real creative writing? Or, like, the dinky little prompts that are 'You find a magical shell on the beach' or some crap like that?

[The Jade Knight]

Fell has a point:  Not all school districts (or schools) are created equal.  I know that Washoe County has a horrible, horrible school district, for example.  We were fortunate that they ever offered Creative Writing in high school at all (though they didn't offer it every year, and it didn't count for English credit).

[Shaggy]

True. But reputations aren't everything. When I attended public school, it was a school system with a very high reputation (it was actually part of the reason my parents moved to the town). But my family and I have found certain parts very lacking.

[GreenMonsta]

I went to two very different high schools in my time as a student. First I went to my town high school where each semester you were allowed two electives. These electives ranged from Creative Writing to Drawing and Painting to Photography. I found that the options allowed us at that particular school where actually pretty good. Not only were you given the choice and ability to change classes each semester but after you passed one class in any given field there were others that became available to further your interest. I think our Creative Writing class went up to Creative Writing level four or five. Now I went more for the drawing and painting and photography but that was just me.

The second high school I went to was also public but it was vocational. Now that is another story all together. Having all of the schools focus on practical job training we didn't have any kind of electives at all. No art classes of band or chorus. The goal was strictly to get the students ready for the job market right after school. Although I enjoyed the photography and drawing and painting classes a lot I found that the automotive course i took was a lot more fun and helpful to me. Currently I am a mechanic in the national guard and I apply the skills I learned every time I report.

[Shaggy]

It really depends on the school, I guess.

What's the name of the vocational school?

[GreenMonsta]

Blue Hills Regional Vocational School in Canton Ma.

[readerMom]

Fell, I think your school was a special case because I know it is the Gifted and Talented Feeder elementary to the ELP (or whatever they are calling it now) that sends kids in 7th grade to West high.  Which is where I went and they did have an excellent creative writing class and teacher.  As a matter of fact I know at least one published and award winning author to come out of those classes, Shannon Hale, and her husband Dean Hale. 
Not that I think the high school creative writing is what made the difference in their becoming "famous" writers, but that good creative writing classes are exceptional and rare.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I'm divided. In high school i learned nothing in any of my English classes. The last thing I learned in public school English was the standard five-paragraph essay in eighth grade. While many will whine about this, it's also the single most useful thing I've ever learned about writing. It is a VERY hand, VERY clear, and VERY professional method of argumentative writing.

That said, I had a creative writing teacher in 12th grade (the course was also available to freshmen on up) who was the single most supportive and helpful mentor for writing aspirations I've ever met. She taught me a great deal about clarity, character, creativity (and other 'c' words) as well as finding inspiration. She will not be forgotten. My little brother and sister also took her class and will testify to her quality.

In addition, I also had a World Literature elective class taught by a little Jewish woman we referred to lovingly as "the hyperactive chipmunk." She opened my mind to reading analytically without being tedious or slavish... to ENJOY reading analytically and get useful information from it. While this didn't shape much of my writing style or ability, it does drive a lot of what I write about.

[Shaggy]

It's all about the schools, I guess. This is my first year at a new school, and as I get older I hope to find (and take!) more English electives.

readerMom, just making one small point–not all of the special programs (Gifted and Talented, Talented and Gifted, whatever other names they've come up with) are oh so great. And even if they are, they might not have such a focus on writing. (Although, you're talking about a school, so it might be different.)