Creatively Engaging in Education

Trinity calls its students to be active and intentional in regard to community, both in and out of the classroom, a mission that one class felt called to answer creatively.

On October 25, Trinity’s education class, “Methods of Teaching Language Arts,” hosted a creative writing workshop at Palos Heights Public Library. Assistant Professor of Education Kelly Lenarz ’99 led the workshop along with her class of elementary and special education majors.

Lenarz spent the summer brainstorming with Debbie Larsen ’96, director of Youth Services at Palos Heights Public Library, on how to better connect Trinity students to the programs offered at the library. One result was the creative writing workshop, which both Lenarz and Larsen found beneficial to their programs.

“The purpose of this workshop is to allow my students a chance to put into practice what they are learning in the course regarding effective writing instruction for elementary and middle school students,” Lenarz said.

Larsen also found the opportunity to be just as rewarding for the library.

“As a Trinity alum and Palos Heights resident, I know that Trinity’s staff and students have much to offer the Palos Heights community,” she said. “I am happy to have Trinity join with us to promote literacy to children and families in our community, and I hope we can continue to find ways to work together.”

The event allowed the 13 children, grades kindergarten and up, to create books using the stories each child authored.

David Jenner ’15 of Chicago helped at the workshop and found that it taught him many skills needed in teaching, such as planning activities, overcoming unforeseen obstacles, and engaging kids.

“We have been learning how to effectively teach children using creative writing and books, and how God’s gift of language is important in the classroom,” he said.

The children involved clearly enjoyed the experience and were eager to share their work.

“It was lots of fun, and we made our own books to take home. I’m going to read my book to my dad when he gets home,” said Summer, age 9.

The Workshop

The workshop began with introductions and a story reading of “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves.” Trinity students then led the children in filling out a graphic organizer that showed how the story was told and explained how to use the graphic organizer to write their own stories.

Collaborating with the Library

Some of Lenarz and Larsen’s other brainstorming sessions have resulted in future partnerships between Trinity and the library, such as Technology in Education students helping with adult computer programs or Adult Studies students helping with the library’s STEAM programs. In the weekly Reading Buddies program, children can read for 20 minutes with a Trinity student.

This is not Trinity’s first partnership with Palos Heights Public Library. In the past, Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education, has offered a creative writing workshop for the library with his education and English classes.