Laurel S. Peterson - Teachers Make a Difference - Dan Masterson

The transcript describes a student's experience in a poetry workshop led by Dan Masterson. Dan's teaching style focused on highlighting the positive aspects of students' work and encouraging risk-taking, which was a refreshing change from other workshops that focused on finding flaws. This approach helped the student see their work in a more positive light and improved their writing. Dan continued to support the student beyond the classroom, leading to their first major publication and further opportunities. The student expresses gratitude for Dan's belief in them and aims to pass on this quality to their own students.

What was unique about Dan Masterson's approach to teaching poetry?

• He focused on finding flaws in students' work.

• He discouraged risky choices in writing.

• He highlighted the positive aspects of students' poems.

• He only taught undergraduate courses.

How did Dan Masterson's teaching style affect the narrator's view on their poetry?

• It helped them see the positive aspects of their work.

• It led them to stop writing poetry altogether.

• It encouraged them to write more prose.

• It made them focus more on their mistakes.

What did the narrator start doing differently in their writing after Dan's workshop?

• They began to focus on removing elements that blocked the poem's energy.

• They focused solely on grammar and structure.

• They started writing in a completely different genre.

• They stopped writing poetry altogether.

How did Dan Masterson continue to support the narrator after the workshop?

• He stopped communicating with them.

• He discouraged them from submitting their work.

• He provided feedback on their poems via email.

• He offered them a teaching position.

What was one of the outcomes of the narrator's continued relationship with Dan Masterson?

• They decided to change careers.

• They received their first major publication in Yankee Magazine.

• They published a novel.

• They stopped writing poetry.