CTWP - Lesley Demshar by Lesley Demshar

demshar — 2025-06-25 15:59:21 UTC

Not long ago, while looking through a box of my mother’s keepsakes, I came across an old academic journal article written by a great uncle I hadn’t even known existed. Later, when taking on the challenge of composing a creative piece during the Summer Institute, my mind was immediately drawn back to that unexpected discovery. I was intrigued with the idea of using this archival document to create a new text, a layered conversation between past and present. Crafting this archival remix was a fun experience, but also an emotional one, as uncovering a piece of my family’s history also brought to life new ways of understanding my own identity.

demshar — 2025-06-25 16:02:26 UTC

Our research project was a welcome opportunity for me to take a deeper dive into the work of Dr. Steve Graham and Dr. Karen Harris, renowned scholars in the field of writing instruction for struggling writers, especially those with learning disabilities. A substantial body of research indicates that the Self Regulation Strategy Development (SRSD) framework is a powerful tool for improving writing outcomes across grade levels. I’m eager to implement this approach in my own classroom and consider its impact on my students’ writing progress in the coming school year.

demshar — 2025-06-25 16:05:38 UTC

An aspect of the Summer Institute I particularly enjoyed was the opportunity to engage with guest writers. Our Zoom chat with Lora Head, who joined us from Coahuila, Mexico, was especially inspiring. Her approach to writing poetry emphasizes the importance of giving ourselves time and space to reflect and to notice the world around us. A journal prompt I later shared with the group extended her theme of mindfulness, a valuable practice for both writing and for personal well-being.

demshar — 2025-06-25 16:07:16 UTC

This presentation reflects a lesson shared with a 7th grader in my Applied Language Arts class who was struggling to compose complete sentences within her short constructed responses. Leveraging a framework of station activities for the class enabled me to spend valuable one-on-one time with her over the course of several days for conferencing and remediation. During these brief sessions, the student received individualized, targeted instruction that reinforced her sentence structure knowledge, introduced a mnemonic strategy to support her use of editing skills, and reinforced her self-perception as that of a capable and effective writer.

demshar — 2025-06-26 02:21:45 UTC

My backyard garden, though simple, is one of my favorite places, a peaceful refuge from the demands of daily life. In my memoir, I reflect on the quiet beauty of experiencing mindfulness in nature, and I capture a series of moments with loved ones, past and present.

demshar — 2025-06-26 03:46:35 UTC

I enjoyed how many of our journal writing prompts encouraged us to play with words in creative and strategic ways. Whether we were counting syllables or considering word meaning to fit a specific pattern - like Six-Word-Memoirs, acrostic poems, list-making, or haiku - we had fun taking on the challenge. What a great way to engage reluctant writers, get pencils moving, and bring laughter to the classroom! This is my light-hearted attempt at haiku, which commemorates my enduring need for a band-aid when admiring desert plants in the Texas landscape.