Leatherstocking Writing Project Teachers' Writing Retreat:
Tranquility & Togetherness
July 9-12, 2021: Betty and Wilbur Davis State Park
Our Writing Project is looking forward to reconnecting with everyone as we redefine what our writing project means in supporting educators. We have decided to host a five-night, four-day writing retreat where we can reconnect with each other in the hope of building tranquility, mindfulness,and togetherness. One of our goals is to create a book of pedagogical insight essays from some who want to work on workshopping personal or professional writing throughout the new school year. We would thoroughly enjoy having your expertise for one, two, or even all five days. We have secured an eight-person cottage at Betty and Wilbur Davis State Park for invitees to spend the night and camp for all of to come to together write, relax, and enjoy our learning community. Feel free to commit to one day, two/three days, or all four days!
Writing Around the Campfire: Perfection
6:00 PM
Writing Around the Campfire: Perfection
Challenge: Changing the narrative - Examining our moments of perfection over the year
*Potential Foreword or Description of the book proposal.
Theme: Projecting New Horizons
“I go to nature to be soothed, healed and have my senses put in order” - John Burroughs
8:00 - 8:30 Morning Yoga and short meditation
9:00-9:30 Check in/Meet and Greet
9:30-10:30 Morning Pages
10:30-12:30 Sarah Morris, West Virginia University: Moving Meditation and Finding the Flow in Writing
Sarah Morris is the coordinator for the Undergraduate Writing Program at West Virginia University and co-director of the National Writing Project at West Virginia University. Her research interests include human science phenomenology, embodiment, writing process, student-centered teaching, and rhetorics of Appalachian identity.
12:30-1:30 Lunch Break
1:30 - 1:40 Brainstorm: Importance of Teaching Voices
1:40 - 2:30 Writing time: How will you share and celebrate your teaching?
2:30-3:30 Writing Groups: Time to Share/Edit/Revise
3:40-4:00 Ethnographer's Report: Blog Post
6:00: Writing Around the Campfire
Theme: Teacher Spirit
"It may seem at times as if invisible fingers move us above like puppets on strings. But for sure, we are not born to be dragged along. We can grab the strings ourselves and adjust our course at every crossroad, or take off at any little trail into the unknown."
8:00 - 8:30 Morning Yoga and short meditation
9:00-9:30 Check in/Meet and Greet
9:30-10:30 Morning Pages : What brings you joy in this moment?
10:30-12:30 Valerie Bolger, Yoga and Writing:
For the one-hour yoga session offered with the Leatherstocking Writing Project please bring your own yoga mat, props, and water.
Prompt question for writing to follow:
"What brings you joy to this moment? How do you feel connected with this moment?"
"What values, experiences, beliefs, and senses bring more happiness to this moment?"
12:30-1:30 Lunch Break
1:30-1:40 Orientation and Visioning Writing: Goal Setting
1:45-2:30 Writing time: How are you feeding your teacher soul over the summer?
2:30-4:00 Writing Groups: Time to Share/Edit/Revise
3:40-4:00 Ethnographer's Report: Blog post
6:00: Writing Around the Campfire
Theme: Looking, Seeing, Being
“Things do not change; we change.” ― Henry David Thoreau
9:00-9:30 Morning yoga and short meditation
9:30-10:30 Morning Pages: Art, energy and the classroom as we now know it - what is the
connection?
10:30-12:30 Rhea Nowak: "Process and Presence on the Perimeter"
Drawing is communicative mark-making
Humans are mark makers by nature
All of us draw, one way or another
Dragging a stick in the sand
Dragging a boot through the puddle on to the dry cement
Working with the peanut butter on the warm toast
A handful of crayons jabbed on to paper
Dancing can be a form of drawing in air
Writing by hand is a form of drawing
12:30-1:30 Lunch Break
1:45-2:30 Valerie Rapson: "Looking at the Sun"
Looking at the Sun using safe solar equipment (telescope, binoculars, etc.). We can share experiences with one another about observing the night sky, and talk about how these types of observations have affected our appreciation of science and feelings about our place in the universe.
Let’s think back to the first time you observed a science phenomenon of any topic (finding a constellation, looking through a telescope, watching a bird/plane fly, watching flowers bloom, etc.) and reflect upon your feelings about how science is all around us. The goal is to pause and think about how we experience scientific phenomenon in small ways every day.
3:40-4:00 Ethnographer's Report: Blog post
6:00: Writing Around the Campfire
Theme: Opening and Visioning Our Teaching Project
9:00-9:30 Check in/Meet and Greet
9:30-10:30 Morning Pages : What teaching strategies would you use in the classroom of
2050?
10:30- 1:00 pm Author's Chair. Planning meeting for Fall Semester sessions
1:00 Lunch
2:00 Leadership Team Meeting