Observer: Sarah Hutchinson

Teacher: Ms. Abby Hasebroock

Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Class: Senior Creative Writing- F Period- L Day

Dear Abby,

Thank you for welcoming me to your F Period Creative Writing class this morning, which
marked Day 2 of the Creative Nonfiction unit. The class featured a variety of well-designed,
scaffolded activities: the bell ringer required students to get out of their seats (a great idea on a
Monday morning!) and assess their consciousness; you guided students through a well-
structured brainstorming exercise; students reflected on the ideas they generated; and, finally,
students debriefed with a partner. You clearly articulated how these activities built towards the
larger goal of composing a first draft.

Please let me know if you would like to discuss any of this in more detail.

Sincerely,
Sarah

8:56 I arrive, students file in

8:56 Bell rings. Abby takes attendance, asks for students to help her (this is a semester length
class with a new student group)
Abby greets students
Were going to begin by addressing HW assignment
Day 2 - Do Now - Lets address what we writes are aware of in our writing: Rate your
consciousness!
o Students have 3 stickers in front of them
o In the class: 3 concepts from homework are posted on the board
o Students have a minute to assess their awareness of each of the 3 concepts

9:00 Lets take a look of what were aware of - or not aware of

How to tell your story - Approach - it looks like for most of the class this is a middle
ground
Structure - only 2 people are aware of this. This is good to recognize, but we need to
be conscious of this
Rendering of experience - lots of pink dots here - most of us are aware of this
Abby synthesizes the results - what the class seems to know and what we need to be
more aware of

9:01 Prayer
Michael leads
9:02 Agenda
Brainstorming: Childhood (15 mins)
Composing First Draft (25 mins)

Start with Brainstorming exercises - thinking about the approach

9:03 Please take out Idea Books and a good pen

Clear your desks of other stuff, writing space is important
Abby reviews what creative nonfiction is
Goal of brainstorming - generate many experiences, were looking for quantity
First prompt: what things or ideas fascinated you as a child - specifically, what did you
love?

9:06 Students start to write

Abby tells the two students behind me to take off hoodies and put on IDs
Students are writing and focused
Abby walks around and makes notes on her iPad
9:09 2 more minutes. Abby posts a follow-up question to help guide thinking for these
last minutes: What about now? (same interests, or have those faded?)

9:12 If youre on to something good, stick with that prompt. For those ready to move on - what
things or ideas horrified/scared/upset you? Abby offers that her childhood basement scared her
9:14 2 more minutes for this prompt. Projects the same follow-up question; feel free to
pivot in your writing
Abby circulates, interacts with some students; asks the male student behind me if he can
be more specific, gives him more specific direction; affirms Jennys illustrations

9:17 Last prompt: What childhood memories do you have of

making/creating/building/writing/etc?
Identifies strategies that students might use: write, illustrate, create a map of
associations, etc.

9:20 Last few minutes for this prompt. Followup question - Do you still do these activities now? If
not, do you wish you could?

9:21 Lets reach a good stopping point. And now lets do a quick debrief before we move to
partner work. Put a star or asterisk next to anything that might hold a great story thats worth
retelling.

9:23 When youre ready, find a partner and lets share our ideas. Abby assigns partners.
Students quickly get into groups, start talking. Abby circulates.
9:24 I leave