Reflection
I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to work with kids at the Ricks Center through DU Grand Challenges alongside The Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship and Learning. I believe in this program and am so glad others do, too! We have put work into reading about pedagogical practices, lesson planning, teaching, and creating a poetry book to showcase our students' wonderful work.
Before entering the Writers in the Schools class with Dr. Krumrie, I was uncertain of my future as an English student. I enjoyed the classes I was taking, but I had yet to engage directly with my community through teaching. When I began the WITS class, I was finally provided with the tools I needed to develop my passions and found outlets for scholarship within my community.
I am so proud of Ms. Liz's seventh-graders and Ms. Lillian's fourth-graders at the Ricks Center for Gifted Children. Every time I came into their classrooms to teach poetry, I stood in awe. These kids are so intelligent and their words are more efficacious than they know.
Some students already loved poetry and were eager to soak up more. Others were more hesitant, but even students who struggled to write ended up creating incredible poems and drawings that expressed their most vulnerable thoughts. It was amazing watching these students grow excited about topics they had not yet explored. I am honored to have spent time working with the Ricks Center! It has been an unforgettable opportunity to further students' passions, as well as my own scholarship.
Working on the Writers in the Schools Program was the catalyst for my involvement at DU. Through meeting Dr. Krumrie, I have not only met an incredible person, but I have found connectivity within my department. It was Dr. Krumrie that first introduced me to a physical copy of DU's literary journal Denver Quarterly. She helped me develop the courage to inquire about their work and I now intern for DQ. In Dr. Krumrie's class, I connected with students who revived physical copies of DU's visual and textual magazine, Foothills, and now my work is published.
Creating poetry anthologies has helped me find my path as a creative writer and editor. I am glad to have worked on this project and most importantly, that I was able to grow into my community.
I am grateful to CCESL for providing us with this opportunity to create our own Poetry Archive for the English Department and for believing in the importance of creative writing in our community.
Thank you all,
Lydia McCann
Before entering the Writers in the Schools class with Dr. Krumrie, I was uncertain of my future as an English student. I enjoyed the classes I was taking, but I had yet to engage directly with my community through teaching. When I began the WITS class, I was finally provided with the tools I needed to develop my passions and found outlets for scholarship within my community.
I am so proud of Ms. Liz's seventh-graders and Ms. Lillian's fourth-graders at the Ricks Center for Gifted Children. Every time I came into their classrooms to teach poetry, I stood in awe. These kids are so intelligent and their words are more efficacious than they know.
Some students already loved poetry and were eager to soak up more. Others were more hesitant, but even students who struggled to write ended up creating incredible poems and drawings that expressed their most vulnerable thoughts. It was amazing watching these students grow excited about topics they had not yet explored. I am honored to have spent time working with the Ricks Center! It has been an unforgettable opportunity to further students' passions, as well as my own scholarship.
Working on the Writers in the Schools Program was the catalyst for my involvement at DU. Through meeting Dr. Krumrie, I have not only met an incredible person, but I have found connectivity within my department. It was Dr. Krumrie that first introduced me to a physical copy of DU's literary journal Denver Quarterly. She helped me develop the courage to inquire about their work and I now intern for DQ. In Dr. Krumrie's class, I connected with students who revived physical copies of DU's visual and textual magazine, Foothills, and now my work is published.
Creating poetry anthologies has helped me find my path as a creative writer and editor. I am glad to have worked on this project and most importantly, that I was able to grow into my community.
I am grateful to CCESL for providing us with this opportunity to create our own Poetry Archive for the English Department and for believing in the importance of creative writing in our community.
Thank you all,
Lydia McCann