Writing Mentorship for Youth
Honoring and cultivating the imagination at an early age encourages creative problem-solving, flexibility, and capacity to find joy wandering through a lifetime. With a baker’s dozen years of experience in youth mentorship and classroom instruction, I provide small group and private tutoring for middle school to high school storytellers.
Small group writing workshops gather 3-5 peers for 3 hour writing sessions to develop plot, character, dialogue, poetic form, or personal statements. Writing with friends helps develop positive accountability, active listening, and the skills of giving and receiving constructive criticism and feedback in a cooperative environment.
Private tutoring encompasses 1 hour sessions tailored to the young writer’s goals and interests. They will learn to develop plot, character, dialogue, or poetic form, and receive supportive feedback, prompts, and continual learning opportunities. Writers of fiction, poetry, fan fiction, science fiction, and other genres can all benefit from this training. Teenagers who are beginning or finalizing their college or scholarship applications can learn to better tell their stories and convey their unique selves in personal statements and cover letters.
Testimonials
Ms McMullin was my mentor and she moved mountains to make sure that I had a voice in a world that did not care for the opinions of teenagers.
Jazmin
Former high school student
I love the support that Sheila McMullin provides for our club. The visits are helpful and motivating for the students.
LAUSD Public School Teacher
The students enjoyed working with Sheila and her presence led to increased student engagement throughout the process.
Anaheim Unified Public School Teacher
Sheila is a strong teacher and facilitator. She can create educational spaces that are comfortable for her students. She has been able to create space for people to learn about poetry, and to be able to create and share their own poetry. Plus, those same students, in that same learning space, feel comfortable meditation with each other. To be able to create this type of space is a great achievement.