All Saturday Seminars February 9th-April 6th Teacher Tickets

This ticket reserves a spot at all 3 Saturday Seminars at a discounted price. During the Saturday Seminar Series teachers will have an opportunity to work alongside students, participating in mini-lessons and workshopping writing in a day designed by our team of highly skilled teacher consultants. Teachers will walk away with lesson materials and the experience of participating in a vibrant writing community that they will be able to replicate in their classrooms.   These tickets are for all three Saturday Seminars to be held on February 9th, March 2nd, and April 6th.  Teachers may also opt to sign up for units through San Jose State University at an additional fee to be collected in person after the first Saturday Seminar (click here for details).  Event Schedule 9:30-10:00am - Registration in front of Sweeney Hall Courtyard 10-10:30am - Pre-conference with teacher consultant on lesson objectives & plans 10:30-12:30pm - Participate in a Saturday Seminar lesson led by teacher consultant alongside students 12:30-1:00pm - Debrief with the teacher consultant to discuss instructional moves 1:00-2:00pm - OPTIONAL PLC meeting for teachers earning units Course Descriptions Grades K-3  February 9: Art Into Writing This workshop will help you see a painting, then paint your way into your writing. You will be sharing your point of view as we analyze different paintings and have the opportunity to create a painting and write about it just like all artists do. Teachers, get techniques for managing art in the classroom, engaging your students with aesthetic conversations, and using art as a springboard into rich writing experiences. Erika Valle is a bilingual primary teacher in the Mountain View Whisman School District.  She is a Teacher Consultant with SJAWP and an artist who paints. March 2: Fun Ways to Approach Informational Writing In this workshop, we will look at how to teach informational writing and experience ways to engage learners with varied and fun strategies. Teachers will observe students in action and take part in the fun.  Get strategies you can use immediately on the Monday morning following the presentation.  Jennifer Hyejin-Kim Baumgartner,  SJAWP Teacher Consultant, teaches at Milpitas USD.   April 6: Writing, Reading and Technology...Good combination! During this workshop, teachers who worry or who have limited experience using technology to teach, will have the opportunity to use their laptops to create didactic writing lesson plans to engage students in writing. Laura Briones-Pinzon is a SJAWP Teacher Consultant who teaches K-1 ALA at Olinder Elementary School, San Jose USD.   Grades 4-5 February 9: Creating Memorable Speeches Part I This two-part workshop will explore the process a writer and speaker must navigate to deliver an engaging and memorable informative speech. The first day will be dedicated to the content of the speech, which encompassesthe complete writing process using a full sentence outline format. You will conclude both workshops feeling like a confident and accomplished public speaker. Teachers, digital writing and social media require that students become fluent in the Common Core anchor standards for listening and speaking.  Take away strategies that will enliven any writing assignments you have planned.  Debrief with Alicia Casas about ways to customize her lessons for your classroom. Alicia Casas is a Mexican American Studies lecturer at San Jose State University as well as an experienced elementary bilingual teacher.  As a teacher consultant with SJAWP, Alicia has presented Summer Open Programs and taught in the summer Writing Workshops for students. She also owns the Jaguar Bakery. March 2: Creating Memorable Speeches Part II This two-part workshop will explore the process a writer and speaker must navigate to deliver an engaging and memorable informative speech. The second day we meet will be devoted to delivering your prepared speech, with a focus on effective verbal and non-verbal delivery strategies. You will conclude both workshops feeling like a confident and accomplished public speaker. Alicia Casas is a Mexican American Studies lecturer at San Jose State University as well as an experienced elementary bilingual teacher.  As a teacher consultant with SJAWP, Alicia has presented Summer Open Programs and taught in the summer Writing Workshops for students. She also owns the Jaguar Bakery. April 6: Own It! Writing by Yourself, for Yourself Students write to prompts or for teacher-selected research throughout the school year. The key to being a writer, though, is OWNING your work. In this seminar develop a writing plan, explore your writing Style Type, and prepare an elevator pitch for your future writing plans. Bring your notebook and thoughts! Teachers, learn practical ways to get more buy-in for writing, even with reluctant students. Susan Seyan is an Intervention Teacher at Carson Elementary School in the San Jose Unified SD.  As a Teacher Consultant with SJAWP Susan has presented Summer Open Programs and directed Creative Writing Camps.   Grades 6-8 February 9: Developing the Personal Narrative: Beyond One Arc Learning how to develop a personal narrative to reveal your personality, values, and beliefs requires a sense of humor and a little literary magic. Join author Chris Knoblaugh for an engaging experience.  Find new ways to lead your students into writing narratives that are enjoyable to read. Chris Knoblaugh teaches 6th grade at Castillero Middle School in San Jose USD. In addition, Chris tutors writing and is an author. TRIBUTE is her debut novel in The Cleaners Series. March 2: The Essay Can Be Your Friend Why do many students dread writing essays about the books they read in school?  Sharing your thinking about stories should have a positive connotation. Let’s talk about how to change your mindset about essays at this workshop. And then let’s put together a draft of a literary essay.   You can BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) to write about though we’ll also have short stories you can respond to. Jay Richards, SJAWP Teacher Consultant, teaches 8th grade at Central Middle School in San Carlos School District.. Jay is also the Editorial Committee Chairman in charge of judging for the local $1000 for 1000 Words fiction contest for grades 6-12 (www.bluefire.org). April 6: Notes from A Student Writing Contest Judge SJAWP Teacher-Consultant Jay Richards, Editorial Committee Chair of the $1000 for 1000 Words Student Fiction contest, shares his experience reading and judging hundreds of stories for the contest. Read some of the award-winning stories written by teens and learn some of ‘do’s and don’ts’ that made them great. Jay Richards, SJAWP Teacher Consultant, teaches 8th grade at Central Middle School in San Carlos School District.. Jay is also the Editorial Committee Chairman in charge of judging for the local $1000 for 1000 Words fiction contest for grades 6-12 (www.bluefire.org). Grades 9-12 February 9: The First Pillar of Writing Instruction: Sentence Focus Have you ever read one of those student sentences that’s so bad you don’t know where to begin, a sentence that makes you consider another line of work because you have no idea how to respond except to write “awk” in the margin? It turns out there is a starting point, and a crucial one at that. Marty will share ideas and strategies to help you understand sentence focus and offer steps you can take to help you get the “awk” out of your response. Marty Brandt teaches at Independence High School, East Side Union HSD.  Marty is a Teacher Consultant with SJAWP. March 2: The Second Pillar of Writing Instruction: Sentence Development In this workshop, instructors and students will learn to utilize skills that apply to both poetry and prose. This will help instructors teach writing across multiple genres, especially personal statements and college application essays, and it will allow students to build bridges from personal writing to academic writing. Marty Brandt teaches at Independence High School, East Side Union HSD.  Marty is a Teacher Consultant with SJAWP. April 6: The Third Pillar of Writing Instruction: Coherence Most teachers are prepared to define coherence—the way sentences work together—only by complaining about its absence. In this workshop, Marty will discuss the true nature of coherence in writing and provide a classroom model that students can use to write both freely andcoherently, so that they can begin to use their writing as a tool for the discovery of ideas they didn’t know they had. Marty Brandt teaches at Independence High School, East Side Union HSD.  Marty is a Teacher Consultant with SJAWP. FAQS Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? No, but there is registration in the Sweeney Hall Courtyard at 9:30. Where do I park?  7th Street Garage