Reflection on the Upstate Writing Project's Spring Conference 2009

There were many aspects of the Upstate Writing Project's Spring Conference I found educational and enjoyable. I enjoyed the lunch session with children's book author Dinah Johnson. The joy of listening to an author read their work is rare. She read with such feeling and emotion that a reader cannot interpret from an initial reading. Not only did she read her work, but she shared her experiences as an author, sharing conflicts with editors, book inspirations, and meanings within her books.

Each of the afternoon sessions provided us a demo of a strategy used in teaching. The strategies, voice thread and story gloves, were shared by teachers currently in the field, and therefore resulted from struggles within their own classrooms. Each of the demos provided participants with an introduction, a demonstration, an engaging writing activity, sharing of teacher writing written during demo, and sharing of student work. Each of the components provided a better understanding of each strategy, and I feel prepared to share these in my classroom. I am excited to do so, and I am looking forward to continuing my experience with the Upstate Writing Project.