English teacher William Schrader has taken to teaching Chapel Hill High School’s Creative Writing course this year, allowing students in the class to produce the school’s annual literary magazine Different Drummer.
Different Drummer features the artwork and creative talent of students; it primarily displays poetry and short works of creative fiction that coincide with an underlying theme.
Prior to this year, the literary magazine was produced by students as an extracurricular activity rather than through a class, with Schrader serving as the faculty advisor.
But now with production of Different Drummer done through Schrader’s fifth-period Creative Writing course, Schrader welcomes the the aspiring writers who comprise it.
“I really enjoy the material itself,” Schrader said. “We had 28 students who expressed interest in taking Creative Writing, and I think it’s really cool that we have that many students here who are interested in stuff like that. I just want to make sure they have the opportunity to take the course.”
Creative Writing differs from the traditional English classes Schrader has been teaching for years.
“[Creative Writing] is less cut and dry and more like how broadly you can imagine a story,” Schrader said. “It’s a lot more subjective.”
Having served as the advisor of Different Drummer for the past six years, Schrader implements strategies in his Creative Writing class similar to those used in the creation of the literary magazine.
“Since we are producing the literary magazine through Creative Writing, we’ll continue to use some of the methods that have been successful,” he said. “Overall, the production of the magazine and class will be a much richer process than before.”
In his classroom, Schrader also provides needed one-on-one help to facilitate student learning.
“The help Mr. Schrader gives is super beneficial,” senior Nicholas Huger said. “He does a lot of individual teaching which allows for individual growth.”
Students in the class say Schrader creates an environment where they are encouraged to do their best.
“Mr. Schrader’s class is best described as very free,” sophomore Matthew Turnier said. “He’s very accepting of students’ work; it’s a very pleasant experience and makes me want to do well.”
Schrader also aims to acknowledge student needs, holding a daily three-minute meditation time during his Creative Writing class.
