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Teaching teachers to write improves classroom performance
BY ROCHELLE PERRELLA
i ne classes are scheduled from 9 a.m. to whenever the
There was an unusual sound in the corridor of Andrew c,asJ feels that they done. They meet five days a
Hall, UNL Enlish building, during early morning clas- w ... ,. ...
ne writing ciass usuauy aujuunu ui ayyiuxnnatj
12:30 p.m.; and the literature class usually stays until ap
proximately 2:20 p.m.
The sense of community that vibrates from these
classes are' in response to the amount of time spent in
stime.
The sound of laughter came floating out into the hall
way. Was this a social gathering of old friends or a class
being conducted?
What constitutes this change of atmosphere in com
parison to other classrooms?
Where does this sense of community come from in a
class of 25 people who were strangers to one another less
than five weeks before?
The scene examined above is the classoom of the Ne
braska Literature Project. This is an off-shoot or "spin
off of the Nebraska Writers Project that has been
taught for four years at UNL
The intituter of these projects is Les Whipp, English
professor at UNL
class and the closeness of working with other people day
today.
Whipp said that otther classes have sprung up as a re
sult of the writing project.
There is a similar class taught during the regular
school year for undergraduates.
The classes designed for teachers range in grade level
from kindergarten to college level.
There have also been sections taught strictly for col
lege instructors.
In the Dast three vears. teachers who have been
Whipp is currently conducting the writers project and 'j le wnng.profa?LgiYe workshops throughout
James McShane is conducting the literature project.
These two classes differ in many ways from the regu
lar English classes at UNL
the state, from Chadron to Omaha.
For every teacher that participates in the summer
program, any number of other teachers may be effected,
Whipp said.
Each member of the classes has been hand-picked. In the four years this program has been taught, teach-
All ot the members are teachers. These people are pro- ers have noticed a change.
fessionals coming together to share experiences, tech
niques and teaching methods.
The emphasis of both classrooms deals with writing.
Whipp said that the class encourages the teachers to
start writing themselves. A teacher who is writing him
self for pleasure can more effectively teach writing in the
classroom. A teacher who is writing can better under
stand the special problems of an author, and thus teach
literature more effectively.
"Students are learning differently." Whipp said.
- ,
"More writing that's creative is being taught."
Whipp said that he believes UNL has an obligation to
meet the needs of the communities.
"This project is part of the University's business in
serving the state," Whipp said.
The project also contains personal growth for the par
ticipants, Whipp said. Many former students publish rec-
ularly. Some have started groups of writers that get to-
"The main notion is that you respond to other peo
ples writing differently when writing yourself," Whipp Two UNL StuddltS receive $1000
Both class situations are set up similarly.
The classes first meet as large groups. Minutes are
taken for every session and read the next day. Teaching
demonstrations are also given by people in the class.
The classes then divide into small writing groups.
Each person presents one piece of his writing to the
group. His peers then give their reactions.
Lastly, the large groups reassembles for a time of shar
ing reports and the paper blizzard (handouts contributed
by people in the class as teaching aids for the others in
the class.)
Whipp said that the best evaluation for such a class
period is to take 10 minutes at the end of the period to
ask people what they have learned.
Whipp said that he would like class participants to
realize that writing is the imperfect effort of real people
to create something joyful and meaningful.
Two UNL students have been named recipients of $1000
Phillips Petroleum Scholarships for the 1981-82 academic
year.
Receiving the scholarships were Edward Medlin, an
electrical engineering major from Omaha, and Chris
Heng, a chemical engineering major from Nebraska City.
mm
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gether regularly to give each other feedback on their
Work. . rt ImtninPH
"Without joy in language imw
growth," Vhipp said.
The reactions from the people in the writing project
rSSA f-er teacher at Lincoln B ;
said, "It's been a great expenence. I have gotten a lot
written. The demonstrations have been good.
Ik-cause of the different grade levels, it is easier to see
the total spectrum of teaching, Beadel said.
1'at Pirtle, of Indian Hills Junior High in Omaha, said
that he was'not writing before but w,l now .take the
time. He has become more comfortable with writing and
sees the changing techniques.
Kris Kaasch or York Elementary School said, The
small groups were effective." She was ato aware of how
some principles of the class were applicable to the first
grade level, she said. . c
The comments of the literature class were also favora
ble. Tome Goble, of Bloomfield Elementary School m Kal
ston, said, "The class has been very successful." He said
that the class had taught him to read creatively and
teach creatively.
Wynn Nuckolls, formerly of Southeast Cbmmuntiy
College in Fairbury, said that she thinks that writing in
class has helped her to understand how literature is cre
ated. "This class has brought out the best in people," she
said.
Reg Dyck, of South High in Omaha, said that he has
enjoyed getting different ideas and methods for teaching
form other class members. However, he said that the
class could be more structured.
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