So, you are interested in the LMWP? I’m here to give you the scoop on how to survive your four weeks of writing and learning. Here is the 10 step process to survive the LMWP.
Step 1: Arrive on time!
This is important if you want plenty of time to get set up, consume yummy snacks, like the fruit, cinnamon rolls, and croissants I brought yesterday, and fill up your coffee mug. Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Step 2: Be flexible!
The schedule is always subject to change. For instance, yesterday we started off our morning conferring with the Laker Writing Camp. This was not on the schedule, but we were all happy to accommodate in order to help young writers, even though most of them wanted us out of their way. By staying flexible, you will be open to new experiences, such as Fran being taught how to use Google Docs by an eight year old.
Step 3: Consider your writing sacred!
Each morning a fellow will give you an invitation to write. You will spend roughly 40 minutes responding to their prompt. Don’t worry. You always have the option to choose a different topic. Yesterday I invited the fellows to writing about overcoming obstacles, meeting new people, and accepting differences by using quotes from the musical Wicked. Former fellow Janet, who was visiting, loved my prompt!
Step 4: Pay attention during the demo!
The teaching demo is a time to learn new strategies for your classroom. Each one will be helpful and applicable to any grade level or subject. Yesterday’s demo, done by Dana, used elements of social studies, science, and language arts to develop persuasive essays. During this time you will get to work with your group and try out the different activities in the demo. Dana had each group look at different documents to determine if we should drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Rescue as opposed to using so much foreign oil. We had to be careful with the term “foreign,” as Arda was a little touchy about using Canada’s oil. After the demo, you have a chance to reflect independently and then with the group. Following Dana’s demo, the group discussed evidence versus argument in different genres of writing.
Step 5- Prepare your portfolio!
As the end of the institute nears, you will be preparing a writing portfolio. Luckily, the coaches are here to help. Amanda showed us how to set up a digital portfolio using our blogs. She also brought in traditional portfolios as examples for us to look at.
Step 6- Show your creativity!
Every day, a fellow takes log of the events that occur through the course of the day and then presents it the following day. This is a time to show your creativity in a way that records all of the memories we are making at the institute. Corinne read her diary to us yesterday telling us how awesome her birthday was and refreshed our memories from the previous day… FTW!
Step 7- Find time to rest your brain!
The hour lunch break is pretty much the only down time your brain will see. Use this time wisely. You may either bring a lunch or buy from a nearby restaurant. More snacks are brought out at this time. My cheese and pretzel chips were a big hit!
Step 8-Participate in groups!
At the ISI, you will be a part of three small groups: coaching, writing, and reading. Yesterday we met with our reading groups. Most groups decide to read for a majority of the afternoon and then meet with their group to discuss their findings. Sometimes your group will get off topic and discuss other topics. I learned from Arda that my husband is not romantic because he has never put me in a trunk. I will bring this up with him tonight.
Step 9- Be democratic!
Working and agreeing with 20-plus other people can be difficult, so it is important to make democratic decisions. In order to choose a t-shirt color and quote, we nominated candidates and voted. On Monday, we nominated colors and supported our reasoning. Yesterday, we seconded the colors and then took a vote. Shelly seconded stone, even though it was her original vote. Amie seconded not while, and Sara G. agreed (thirded?), as she gets arm pit stains. The results of the vote were as follows:
Cornflower- 1 vote
Heather blue- 13 votes (my favorite)
Stone- 5 votes
Graphite, a last minute addition to the ballot by Corinne- 1 vote
After I silently celebrated my color victory, some fellows were disappointed in the winner, as they didn’t particularly like heather blue. Since we are democratic, Sara R. suggested a revote. Lindsay pulled up the website and frisked the models to show us more color options. A new color was added to the ballot: river blue. The results of the second vote are as follows:
River blue- 9 votes
Heather blue- 4 votes
The decision has been made. The women’s cut shirt will be river blue and the men’s will be stone. Both will have a pocket logo.
The next vote was on the quote to put on the back of the shirt. Over the past two days, fellows could nominate quotes via the mother blog. Many great quotes were suggested, and Susan even added one of her own quotes, but denies submitting it. Our task was to then narrow down the quotes and vote. The voting for the quotes is as follows:
Chekov- 6 votes
Franklin- 9 Votes
Lamott- 2 Votes (both are from Dave)
Zola- 4 Votes
Twain- 7 Votes
Routman- 9 Votes
Since there was a tie for first place, we had another revote. Franklin’s quote won (my favorite), so Routman’s quote will adorn the cover of our publication.
Step 10- Celebrate!
You should enjoy the time you spend at the institute, but you should also celebrate your accomplishments. After our month of writing, we will put together our portfolios and dine together at Amore next Thursday. This is when we will receive our published pieces and our t-shirts. We were told that the price of our meal is covered, except for alcohol, so I suppose we aren’t encouraged to celebrate too much. Also, be careful not to push the excitement of your writing to hard. While the coaches want us to celebrate, it was noted that they don’t want to read more than they have to when Lindsay politely declined reading Amanda’s family blog.
I hope this alleviates any anxiety you had over joining the LMWP next summer. I know that you will enjoy it as much as I have, and if you have any questions, any of the coaches will be able to help, assuming they are in attendance and aren’t too busy to read your blog or whatever else it is you want to talk to them about.