Okay, you know I don’t often ask you for things but a teacher wrote me who is raising money to give her students “Wreck this Journal” for a good reason (actually a few teachers). I have been donating books to schools like crazy (because I feel it is a small way of helping and because a couple of teachers saved me when I was in school) and I am a bit tapped out at the moment, though I did donate to this cause myself in hopes of helping them get to their goal. I always want to do more to help teachers, they really can make a difference with their work! Did I mention they have no art classes?!? Can you help us?
Here are the links:
Class one
Class two
Class three
Here is a bit of what the teacher wrote:
“Wreck This Journal” will encourage my students to make a mess and release their tension while being creative. One of the activities asks the writer to tear out a page, throw it out, and accept the loss. When this was presented to a group of students, they became visibly uncomfortable watching the teacher proceed with this activity. It is so important for my students to learn it’s OK to make mistakes, to learn from them, and to keep going. In order to innovate and create, they need to be OK with breaking the rules.
“Wreck This Journal” will help me lead my students through a variety of much-needed stress relief activities over the course of the year, such as flinging coffee on the pages, writing carelessly, and releasing their inner monologue.
The books will be used all year in my English class to help my students engage in creative ways of relieving their anxiety. It is my hope that these activities will help my students ease up on themselves and just have fun being kids for awhile.
My students are amazing & brilliant. They’ll go on to conduct research that leads to breakthroughs in genetic testing, curing cancer, and more. However, they need to learn the importance of making mistakes before they realize this potential. Some of the best discoveries happen through failure and happenstance. I want my students to know that making a mess can lead to beauty and truth.
Please help bring “Wreck This Journal” to my STEM-focused 9th graders and help them find their creative spirit!
6:52 pm
Keri, I’ve been following your work for the best part of a decade now and I would like to think that the things I do with you personally(!! lol) cross over into my teaching anyway! However, I’ve recently started a job in an EBD school where my boys have emotional and behaviour problems and my class based lessons have a much more “free” way of developing (at least compared to most thing here in the UK) I adore your way of thinking, I love the random nature of how learning can take place, I love how you make people feel safe in behaving completely against the grain, I love how you can make people feel like they can love their creativity. I would appreciate any support you can give us (besides your books – which I will use anyway!!) Imagine, a UK link?? Has anyone asked before? O my!! I know with me, my boys have the better chance; with you on board, they would have the BEST chance!
Keep on with what you do, the bravery to simply express is priceless
12:24 pm
Hi Keri.
My colleague, Anna Taleysnik-Mehta, is a huge fan of your work and shared this page with our staff here at First Book. First Book is a 501(c)3 notprofit, social enterprise that provides books to teachers and staff serving kids in need across the U.S. and Canada.
We would love to support your work championing reading and offer our resources to the teachers asking you for books. First Book works closely with Penguin as well as a variety of other publishers. We share their donated books with our network of over 60,000 schools and programs serving kids in need as well as purchase books at deeply discounted prices and make them available on our online First Book Marketplace.
We would love to see if there are any ways we could partner together to ensure that all children, regardless of socioeconomic background, can access the books and resources they need to become successful readers, students, and ultimately adults.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at mkeil@firstbook.org or at (202) 639-0123.
Thank you, and have a great day!
