Workshops for Teachers

An author visit can be inspirational, boosting student creativity and encouraging them in their own writing. Younger students especially are almost always thrilled to meet a published author, especially if they have read their books. I offer a number of workshops in which teachers engage in exercises similar to those conducted with the students. These workshops give teachers an insight into the ways in which student creativity can be stimulated and show them the undoubted value of author visits. However, I am very flexible and am always happy to discuss workshops that may best suit your needs. I also conduct workshops in Calgary on a regular basis, notifications of which are posted on my blog and work as an instructor with Chinook Learning Services, the University of Calgary Continuing Education and the Alexandra Writers Centre Society.

Comic Books and Superheroes

My workshops and summer camps on superheroes are best suited to students in grades four to six. Superheroes and comic books are always popular with children, especially boys. This workshop shows how reluctant readers can be encouraged in their creativity and reading through the use of a genre with which they are familiar. The Emerald Curse involves a young boy who is propelled into a strange comic book dimension and was influenced by the comic books and superhero adventure stories I read whilst growing up. In this workshop, we explore the superhero genre, before participants create their own superhero, complete with costumes, fantastic powers, a secret identity, headquarters, friends and family and one or more archenemies. Participants craft a character synopsis, before writing a short story about an action-packed incident involving their hero and his deadliest adversary in the style of a newspaper article or a short piece describing the hero’s origin tale.

Story Creation

My interactive workshops on story creation are designed for younger students in kindergarten and grades one and two and explore story structure. This exercise is done as a group, but students are usually so enthusiastic that they want to create their own story illustrations and expand on the narrative that we have created together. In the weeks after my visit, some schools have added the children’s pictures to the story, as they create their own books and design covers for them. These have often been displayed in the classroom or sent home to parents. During this workshop for teachers, participants work together to create a story, using a series of seemingly unrelated objects, crafting a unique adventure with a well-defined beginning, middle and end. They also learn more of the value of a fully interactive workshop where children give full reign to their imagination as they work together to conceive their own special story

Time Travel Stories

The Alchemist’s Portrait, The Sorcerer’s Letterbox and The Heretic’s Tomb all have some elements of time travel. My workshops involving time travel are usually with grades five, six and seven and these sessions look at where writers get their ideas and how they turn them into stories. Participants invent their own time machine, method or device, paying attention to the need for authentic historical settings and to creating a plausible means of traveling in time. We also explore how to write gripping fiction, in terms of attention grabbing back covers, page turning beginnings and cliffhanger endings.

The Future is Now

The premise of The Clone Conspiracy involves human cloning, genetic engineering, clandestine operations and pure science fiction, although cloning has now become very much science fact. This workshop examines how technology has developed and how the pace of change has rapidly accelerated in recent decades. We look into how cloning research could perhaps benefit mankind, helping with medical conditions and seemingly incurable diseases and explore what kind of medical breakthroughs may occur in the coming decades. Participants then imagine future developments that could transform our way of life, before designing a magazine or newspaper advertisement for their product. These could be related to transportation, the military, medical, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, habitat or even household appliances.

Character Development

In these workshops, we explore where writers get ideas for the people in their stories. We explore the many ways to create memorable characters for a story and how to use descriptive language to build them. Using pictures and photographs as a starting point, participants invent their own unique characters, complete with mannerisms, occupation, hobbies, family and friends, hopes and dreams, quirks and anything else that makes their creations come to life for the reader. They also learn how to write engaging dialogue for their creations, based on the personal characteristics they have created.

The Fantasy Realm

My workshops on mythological creatures and the fantasy realm are ideal for students in grade three and four. We examine the many creatures and characters that traditionally inhabit the fantasy realm, along with the various elements of the fantasy genre. Most of us are very familiar with monsters and strange creatures from mythology, books and movies and adult participants in this workshop invent their own unique mythological creatures, including fabulous powers and deadly enemies, plus their diet and habitat. They also envisage details of the fantasy kingdom in which the creature lives, complete with its system of government, terrain, languages, ethnic groups, myths and legends, historical events and much more.

Please contact me directly for fees and availability for Workshops for Teachers at teachersworkshops@simon-rose.com