ABOUT JENN

CHARACTER

Jenn Woolf has been teaching elementary school kids how to write since 2008.  In 2009, she founded into The Children’s Creative Writing Institute and began teaching after school classes. She likes to call herself a writing evangelist, and her mission in life is for every child to discover the joy of writing.

Jenn has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Creative Writing from the University of Rochester, and a master’s degree in professional writing (MPW) from the University of Southern California.  She has worked as a script reader, story editor and writer, in addition to teaching.

Jenn is a fellow at the Los Angeles Writing Project, based at Cal State LA, and a teacher leader at the Cal State Northridge Writing Project.  The Writing Project has armed her with data and teaching strategies.  If you want to know more about the Writing Project, just ask.  Jenn will be glad to talk your ear off about it!

When I first starting tutoring, I could hear the kids saying, “Ugh, the tutor lady’s here” before the door opened.  For additional emphasis, their body language screamed that they would rather be anywhere else. My mission morphed from teaching kids how to write to showing them how to be enthusiastic about expressing themselves.  

I put a lot of thought and effort, trial and error into creating an environment that nurtures young writers.  In the process, I’ve gone from hearing groans to “Hey, Jenn! Guess what? I used an onomatopoeia today!”

 

PLOT

SETTING

Jenn is based in Encino, California.  Most days you can find her in front of the computer (a 27 inch iMac), at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf with a journal, hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains, on the tennis court, or falling off of her surfboard.

She was born and raised in Baltimore, and still considers herself to be a Mid-Atlantic girl.  Her favorite color is plaid!  

Jenn lives with her husband, two daughters, and an adorable beagle named Snickers.