Inside:

Student Contests Matter

• Read Across Maine during March. Scroll for more info.
  
  
• Poetry Out Loud finals March 11. Watch online! Scroll for more info.
  
  
• The Power of Poetry Contest. Deadline March 29, 2024. Scroll for more info. 
  
  
• Margaret Chase Smith Essay Contest.Maine high school seniors only. Deadline 4/2/24. $1000 for first place, $500 for second place, $250 for third place, and five $50 honorable mention prizes. More details are linked below. 
  
  
• MCSTOYA/MCELA Student Writing Contest winners posted. Click here.

MCELA Programming Matters

• MCELA Conference March 2024: Ignite Joy–Tending the Spaces Between with Keynote Penny Kittle and 40 workshops! We are currently sold out, but please email us to get on our waiting list. There are always a few cancellations before the event. maine.ela@gmail.com
  
  
• In-person workshop: Exploring the Meaning(s) of Literarcy.
  @Bonny Eagle High School on 4/6. Scroll for more details and links for registration.

Opportunities Matter

• Apply for the 2024 cohort of the Peace Teachers Program! Deadline March 26, 2024.
  
  
• Exciting news–Free Writing Program. Thanks to a DOE partnership, your school's first engagement with Spirit Corps is free for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year. Limited spring openings are available. Scroll for more details.
  
  
• Reading Round-Up, Thursday, April 4. Scroll for more details.
  
  
• Don Graves 2024 Write Now Conference, April 5-6 in North Conway.
  
  
• S-T-R-E-T-C-H Your Teaching Workshop sponsored by Maine State Organization of DKG International. Saturday, April 6th in Bangor, Maine. Scroll for more info.
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• Maine Curriculum Leaders Conference, April 8th. "From Obstacles to Opportunities: The Power of Learning!" Scroll for more information.
  
  
• CTCTE Conference. April 27th. "What's Our Story: Connection, Empathy, and Equity Through Literature." Scroll for more info.
  
  

• University of Maine Educators Institute
  Embrace Change, Inspire Growth: Navigating Tomorrow's Classrooms
  University of Maine, Orono | IN PERSON | June 17–18, 2024. Scroll for more info.
  
  

• Conference on Poetry and Learning, July 5th-11th, at Monson Arts in Monson, Maine. Scroll for more info. 

Our Words Matter

• Write for MCELA's Northwords. Submissions are due by May 1, 2024

Message from the MCELA President:

Lately, I've been working on trying to incorporate more joyful learning experiences. I found a little space between two larger units to add a mini-unit last week that ignited a spark of joy for my students.

Inspired by Penny Kittle's book "Micro-Mentor Texts: Writing with Intention and Craft" and the New York Times Student Review contest, I decided to incorporate a mini-unit on review writing. Drawing from Kittle's emphasis on using concise, impactful mentor texts to inspire student writing with relevant reading and authentic writing, I had students read and comment on one of the winning reviews. In the next class, we looked at 1 of the reviews more closely (the one about the Big Red Boots), noting the topics of each paragraph and having students highlight and share a favorite line or section. Then, students created a draft of a review of a product of their choice. The next day we looked at 2 specific techniques the winning review had used and students tried adding a revision to their draft with one or both of the techniques. We read a second review about a rapper following a similar process and students wrote their own celebrity review.

Having students read and analyze these short reviews for organization and writer's craft and then using the techniques they discovered to write their own product and celebrity reviews added an element of joy to our English classes as students wrote about products from chocolate milk to the Porsche 911 Turbo S and wrote about celebrities from Adam Sandler to Tiger Woods. It also cultivated essential writing and critical thinking skills. By analyzing and emulating real-world examples from the Times contest, my students learned to express their opinions with clarity and persuasion. Developing their writing alongside some of the winning reviews served as a powerful motivator, instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment in their writing.

If you're interested, you can find the winning entries from the New York Times Student Review Contest here. We used the essay about the MSCHF Big Red Boot (you should take a look at these controversial boots) as inspiration for writing the product review and the essay about a young rapper from Gaza as inspiration for writing the celebrity review.

Now, I know these ideas aren't new, but sometimes I get so hyperfocused on teaching skills that I forget to make space for joy. Incorporating these micro-mentor texts and adding choices for their writing topic transformed my students' enthusiasm to write. They are more engaged, more confident, and more eager to explore their voices as writers. It's truly remarkable to see the impact that such a simple addition can have on their learning journey.

Here's to igniting joyful learning and tending the spaces between. If you are attending our conference this month, please say hello and introduce yourself. Can't wait to learn and grow together in person!

Patti Forster

MCELA President

maine.ela@gmail.com

MCELA website: mainecela.org