know forest with the sensitivity of a poet and the precision of an ecologist. At the risk of making my job obsolete, though, I’ve got


a secret for you: anybody can facilitate a writing workshop. All you need is a group of students armed with paper and writing implements, your own creative spark, and some basic facilitation tools. The writing workshop I outline below is designed with


field educators in mind, but the basic principles and format can be applied to any classroom, school yard, garden, or living room context just as easily.


But first, you must know the Rules for Freewriting: • Write the first thoughts that comes into your head. Don’t think, just write!


• Keep your pen flowing. Don’t stop writing until the timer is up or the facilitator says, “stop”! If you get stuck, just repeat the word you’re on over and over until something else comes out.


• Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. You can fix that stuff later.


• Don’t try to control your writing! Let it take you where it wants to.


Ice-Breaker and Warm-Up Writing and sharing can make us all feel vulnerable, so it’s


important to begin any writing workshop by creating a safe and supportive space. If everyone is new to one another, a name game of your choice is a great place to start. If you are working with a group of students familiar to one another, begin with some variation of the following exercise, tailoring it to your group and your field of inquiry: Read the following phrases aloud one at a time, and give


everyone about thirty seconds to write their response before moving on to the next phrase. Urge your students to follow the Rules of Freewriting as they write.


• My favorite smell is… • I wonder… • In my free time… • I love… • If I could travel anywhere… • My favorite book/plant/ecosystem/river/mountain/ geologic era/invertebrate/chemical/constellation is…


• If I could travel to any point in history… • When I grow up… • I come from… • I crave… • I don’t remember… • I remember… • My name…


Sharing Before any sharing takes place, let your students know that


there is no right or wrong response to the prompts, and that you encourage them to share even if it feels a little scary, but that everybody has the option of passing at any point. The freedom not to share helps prevent self-censorship while writing, and that is ultimately what we’re going for.


CLEARING 2010


Go around in a circle, sharing responses to one prompt at a


time. So, for example, ask everybody read aloud their response to “My favorite smell is….” before going on to “I wonder…” This creates a rhythmic group poem while exposing students to new aspects of one another. I always write and share with my students in these freewriting exercises, as it models vulnerability and helps contribute to a safe and intimate group atmosphere.


Exploration, Observation, and


Writing Once you’ve warmed your group up and they’ve begun


to get comfortable with writing freely and sharing, you can move on to a longer exploration and writing exercise. Ask your students to split up and give them a couple minutes to find something in their environment that catches their eye—a rock, a plant, or a natural feature, perhaps. Depending on the type of class you are teaching, you could be specific about how they should focus their attention (“Pick a rock layer that you find intriguing”), or you could leave it open and let curiosity be their only guide. Alternatively, you could collect some natural objects—a


handful of river stones, branches covered in lichen, or decaying bark—and ask your students to each pick one. This may be a better option with younger students. Once your


students are settled in near the focus of their attention, ask them to observe it with most of their senses (taste is usually not appropriate). When 3-5 minutes have passed, ask them to begin a 5-10 minute freewrite that begins with a multi-sensory description of their focus and follows the Rules of Freewriting. Remind them to let their writing take them wherever it wants to go. You will time them. Give your students a two-minute warning before theirwriting


time is up, then ask them to finish up their last thoughts and rejoin the group quietly when the stopwatch strikes five (or ten).


Sharing and Feedback Once again, ask students to share their writing. You can


also ask students to give supportive feedback to one another’s writing at this point. This encourages students to pay close attention to qualities that make good writing, builds group trust and support, and helps build writing confidence in individuals. A few of the many things to give feedback on are: • Images that stand out • Interesting questions the writing raises • Creative descriptions • Striking language • Any other strengths


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