I created my Turning Points Personal Narrative Process after being challenged by a group of sixth graders who told me they did not like to write. As a young teacher, I discovered the literacy connection between speaking, reading and writing. My students learned to embrace writing because I allowed them to “orally write and edit” […]
It was teacher survival instincts or maybe just human instincts that brought me to the Power of Story! My 6th graders were struggling with adolescence AND academics (some of them with abusive homes). They needed more than just a curriculum, they needed a community! I started to TELL, (not read but TELL) them traditional stories that […]
The Pioneer Press wrote about my writing residency with the Chippewa Hills School District. Here’s an excerpt from that article: Molding students into storytellers in four days can be a difficult task, Strauss said, but seeing them develop their writing and storytelling skills is one of the things she looks forward to. “I think they […]
I have never been a fan of the game of football. In fact, for years I proudly attended an annual Non-Super Bowl party with friends who shared a mutual dislike of the game. But this year, with over 120 million people watching, the 2015 Super Bowl would be the most viewed television program in history […]