Skip to the content
Participant Details
- Community Arts Partner Name
- Stephanie Guerra
- Partner Type
- Individual
- Profile Photo
- Individual Bio or
Organizational Statement
- Stephanie Guerra is the winner of the 2014 Virginia Hamilton Essay Award for her research on multicultural literary experiences for youth. She is the author of children’s novels Torn and Billy the Kid is Not Crazy, as well as a forthcoming young adult series from Skyscape and a picture book series from Simon Spotlight. Kirkus called her “a strong new voice” and Booklist praised her “complex characters.”
Stephanie teaches children’s literature and writing in the College of Education at Seattle University. She also teaches creative writing at King County Juvenile Detention and researches and speaks about literacy instruction for at-risk teens.
As a Creative Advantage Partner, Stephanie specializes in integrating creative writing across the curriculum for grades k-12. She develops and teaches writing workshops in creative nonfiction, fiction, or memoir to deepen understanding in the content areas of language arts, social studies, history and science.
Grade Levels Preferred
- Grade Levels Preferred
- K-2, 3rd - 5th, 6th - 8th, 9th - 12th
Artistic Disciplines
- Discipline
- 2
- Type
- Creative nonfiction, fiction, memoir
Experience
- Previous School Partnerships
- WA State TAT Lab Graduate
- Other Trainings or Certifications
- Sample Lesson Description: Student / Classroom Residencies
- Sample Workshop Description: Teacher Professional Development
Areas of Experience and Expertise
- Approved Professional Development Provider
- Yes
- Approved Classroom Residency Provider
- Yes
Lesson Plan
- Integrated Art
- Cultural Art
Teaching Approach
- Teaching Philosophy + Approach
- At the core of my teaching is the belief that writing is a powerful vehicle for learning, and that it should be made an organic part of every subject. I follow the premise of writing “process” theorists like Peter Elbow and Lucy Calkins who lead students to establish a writing process and learn craft issues as they arise. I teach students to assess their own writing through the “6 Traits” model, an analytical scoring system that breaks writing into components: ideas, organizations, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation.
As a Creative Advantage Partner, I am committed to honoring teachers’ and schools’ philosophies and adapting my techniques to fit their needs. My residencies include an initial consultation on planning, fit, and institutional approach. I then design a series of content area writing lesson plans and submit them for review to my partnering teachers. I give regular personalized feedback to my students, and guide them through multiple drafts to develop a successful finished product. Throughout my residency, I maintain open lines of communication with my host teachers, inviting formal critique and feedback at several points. At the close of the residency, I continue to be available for follow-up consultations.
- Curriculum Integration Possibilities
- Language Arts, Social Studies, History, Science
- Special Skills and Areas of Expertise
- I have ten years of experience working with at-risk and incarcerated teens and leading professional development with k-12 teachers.
- Testimonials from Schools
- Reference 1:
Katherine Schlick Noe, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of Literacy
College of Education, Seattle University
901 12th Avenue
P.O. Box 222000
Seattle, WA 98122-1090
kschlnoe@seattleu.edu
206.296.5768
Reference 2:
Unna Kim
Recreation Coordinator, King County Juvenile Detention
1211 East Alder Street
Seattle, WA 98122
unna.kim@kingcounty.gov
Images
- Image
- Image Description
- Stephanie Guerra working with students at King County Juvenile Detention
- Image
- Image Description
- Stephanie Guerra working with students at King County Juvenile Detention
- Image
- Image Description
- Writing student at King County Juvenile Detention
- Image
- Image Description
- Billy the Kid is Not Crazy, 2013
- Image
- Image Description
- Torn, 2012