Learning to write in an engaging and meaningful way can be a challenging task. Year 11 ATAR English students had the opportunity to work with Anna Hardy from The Literature Centre on developing their creative writing skills and their courage to use those skills for both assessments and for their own personal writing. Students used visual prompts to encourage the “show, don’t tell” theory of creative writing, and shared their own writing with other students. Anna is an experienced ATAR English teacher and reinforced with students that “quality not quantity” is truly what the markers are looking for.

We experience the world through our senses, yet so many students simply describe what things look like. What does a sunset feel like, smell like, sound like, taste like? According to Anna, the most important takeaway from the session for students should be to incorporate a variety of senses in their writing – the examinators will appreciate it.

Throughout the session students engaged in a variety of activities that they can use to develop their skills in the future. Anna’s visit was a wonderful experience for the students and the teachers are looking forward to reading some of their wonderful creations in their writing journals. The visit from The Literature Centre has become an annual event for students at La Salle and complements our focus on the Pedagogical Principle of Courage. Developing the courage to express themselves creatively will assist students in their school work, and support their ability to be lifelong learners.