5 minute read
The Classroom
BY MELISSIA MASON
Celebrating the Art of Words
After over 25 years in the traditional classroom at Emma Willard School, English Instructor Meg McClellan has set her sights on a new type of classroom: The Writing Center.
Conversations in the English Department at Emma Willard School often center around the practice of writing. For years, Meg McClellan and her colleagues have dreamed of developing a center for writing—a place where students can not only hone their writing skills but also immerse themselves in a community of others who love the art of language. This year, that dream is becoming a reality, thanks to inspirational investments from alumnae Page Starzinger ’76 and Stephanie Sides ’73 (read more on p. 27).
As the inaugural and interim coordinator of the recently named Starzinger Writing Center, Meg is thrilled with the challenge of creating a space for one of her great passions. “Teaching writing has always been my favorite part of what I do,” Meg shares. “I love helping students hear their sto-ries as narrative worthy of sharing—helping them find and develop their voices and become their fully formed selves through writing.”
After 25 students showed up for the first meeting of The Clock in the fall—not to mention student involvement in Triangle, Spilled Ink poetry club, and all of the pop-up writing groups that emerge throughout the year—Meg is encouraged to know that our student body is just as excited about pursuing opportunities to write as she is. As she begins to develop the program for the Center, Meg is focused on the breadth and depth of what might be offered. Based on her own pedagogical experience and the needs of the community, she envisions a place that is as much for the student who’s struggling with writing as it is for the student who loves to write. “It will be great for students to have a place they can claim for the celebration of writing […] a place that serves different writing needs and centers around acknowledging and celebrating the art of words,” Meg says.
The English classrooms and learning support services at Emma Willard have always provided oneon-one attention for students who struggle with writing or want to sharpen their skills. The addition of the Starzinger Writing Center will allow students to go beyond their typical experience, expanding their capacity for writing in a collective and creative way. “I imagine the Center to feature more playfulness— more like a community of writers unto themselves,” Meg explains. The experience will be student-defined as they have more choice in what they pursue. A student who is working on a paper can get feedback, while students who just love to write can be around others who share their enthusiasm. “When you’re in the company of people who are into the same things as you, there’s a wonderful energy that’s affirming and stimulating,” Meg shares.
Meg has many ideas about what will comprise a dynamic writing program that is attractive to students. As she researches and visits other established writing centers, Meg will bring the best of what she finds to Emma Willard. “I want to spend time seeing what kind of writing opportunities there are beyond Emma that our students could connect with,” Meg explains. She anticipates the programming will include everything from cooperation with student writing tutors, to coordination of the existing Sides Family Visiting Writer program, to collaboration with the New York State Writers Institute, and much more.
At a time when the Internet allows everyone to be a published writer, Meg sees both an opportunity and a challenge. Writers now have unprecedented access to publicly distribute their writing, with little to no editorial constraints. “A big part of teaching writing is to move beyond summary and shift toward argument, expressing an idea clearly and effectively,” Meg explains. Part of the challenge for young writers is understanding what style of writing
is appropriate for their audience. Much of what a student might write for online consumption is far different from, for example, writing for literary analysis in the classroom. “When I have a senior in non-fiction, first person narrative writing, they can use fragments or change up the voice if that serves their intended audience or their goal for the piece. But they need to have learned how to write a coherent paragraph and communicate one idea clearly in order to be able to effectively begin playing around with [conventional] expectations.”
Whereas the typical English classroom is focused on work for a particular class, the Starzinger Writing Center will create a space that is far more fluid than focusing on a literature class or writing workshop. “We will intentionally connect many different parts of the experience of being at Emma Willard,” Meg shares, referencing the writing skills used across the curriculum in composing research papers, pursuing Signature projects, and writing end-of-semester reflections. An ongoing conversation at Emma Willard centers around a desire to resolve the seeming tension between wellness and deep academic learning. Faculty have identified writing as an essential tool in working toward both, requiring students to slow down, ponder, and reflect. In light of this impact across the full Emma experience, Meg describes the Center as “interdisciplinary in the most far reaching way.”
As she considers the role that alumnae may play in attracting students, Meg reflects on the inspiration of the Center’s namesake. “Page Starzinger is a poet who found her voice when she was here,” Meg shares. “She really values language as an art form that needs to be honored and celebrated.” With that in mind, Meg imagines the Center as a go-to for celebrating language, hosting visiting artists, writers, and readings. Many of those visitors may even be Emma alums who have followed a path as writers after leaving Mount Ida. In turn, Meg hopes that current students become confident in sharing their own writing both within and beyond the walls of the Emma community.
Although Meg will continue to teach in the classroom throughout her tenure as interim director (a year and a half), she will spend the bulk of her time researching, developing programming, and creating a space where students are drawn to come together around a passion for the art of language. “I’m super excited,” Meg enthuses. “I think it’s going to be really fun, and I get to learn so much too. That’s the best part about teaching—you’re always learning something!”
