I’ve spent the past decade building and directing a low-residency creative writing program at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, growing it from 7 students to 15+ and developing curriculum that values process over product, consent over coercion, and sustainable practice over burnout culture.
Whether you’re looking to build a creative writing program from scratch, redesign existing curriculum, or explore alternative educational models, I bring both practical experience and a commitment to approaches that actually serve students and teachers.
What I Offer
Low-Residency Creative Writing Program Development (High School Level)
I specialize in helping schools build low-residency creative writing programs that provide rigorous instruction without requiring students to relocate or abandon other commitments.
What I can help with:
- Program structure and curriculum design
- Admissions and recruitment strategies
- Faculty hiring and training
- Scheduling and logistics (balancing virtual and in-person components)
- Grading systems that honor creative process
- Building a sustainable program that doesn’t burn out students or faculty
Why low-residency at the high school level?
- Serves students who can’t access traditional programs due to geography, family obligations, or other commitments
- Allows students to maintain connections to their home communities
- Models sustainable creative practice early
- Prepares students for college-level low-res MFA programs
- Can be more financially viable for schools than full residential programs
Deliverables:
- Custom program design documents
- Curriculum templates and course materials
- Faculty training sessions
- Ongoing consulting as program launches
Timeline: Typically 3-6 months for initial program development, with optional ongoing support
Pricing: Contact for project-based quote (starting at $3,000 for basic program design)
Creative Writing Curriculum Development
Need to build or redesign creative writing curriculum for high school? I develop courses and units that:
- Honor student sovereignty and consent
- Balance craft instruction with creative freedom
- Incorporate contemporary and diverse texts
- Use generative exercises grounded in attention and gratitude
- Support revision as “wholly re-seeing,” not just polish
- Can be adapted for traditional classroom or low-residency models
Courses I’ve designed:
- Multi-genre creative writing (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, hybrid)
- Genre-specific courses (poetry workshop, fiction workshop, etc.)
- Multimedia narrative journalism
- Digital filmmaking
- Write Mindfulness (sustainable creative practice)
Deliverables:
- Complete course syllabi
- Daily/weekly lesson plans
- Assignment sequences and rubrics
- Reading lists and supplementary materials
- Assessment frameworks that honor creative process
Pricing: $1,500-5,000 per course (depending on scope and complexity)
Alternative Education Models: Homeschool, Unschooling, & Montessori-Inspired Approaches
I’m also passionate about alternatives to traditional institutional education, drawing on my experience homeschooling my own son and my belief that we need to shift toward models that honor autodidacticism within supportive communities.
What this might look like:
- Curriculum design for homeschool cooperatives
- Workshop design for unschooling communities
- Montessori-inspired creative writing instruction
- Documentation-as-teaching frameworks (writing, podcasting, blogging, commonplacing as the work itself)
- Building “ecosystems of inquiry” among autodidacts
This is newer territory for me, so I’m particularly interested in collaborating with:
- Homeschool networks and cooperatives
- Alternative learning communities
- Progressive/experimental schools
- Anyone reimagining what education could be
Pricing: Contact me to discuss — I’m flexible and interested in finding arrangements that work
Faculty Development & Teacher Training
For schools and organizations with existing creative writing programs, I offer:
Workshop facilitation training:
- How to read student work on its own terms
- Facilitating peer feedback that’s constructive, not crushing
- Building consent into creative writing pedagogy
- Grading creative work fairly and meaningfully
One-on-one coaching for creative writing teachers:
- Developing your teaching philosophy
- Course design and revision
- Managing workshop dynamics
- Sustainable teaching practices (so you don’t burn out)
Professional development sessions:
- Half-day or full-day workshops for faculty
- Ongoing consulting relationships
- Virtual or in-person delivery
Pricing: $500-2,000 per session (depending on length and format), custom quotes for ongoing relationships
My Teaching Philosophy
My approach centers on personal sovereignty and consent:
- Students’ work (like their bodies, minds, and spirits) belongs to them
- They decide what to do with feedback
- I’m not here to fix their writing — I’m here to help them see it more clearly
- Process matters as much as (or more than) product
- Sustainable practice beats burnout culture every time
I believe in:
- Reading work on its own terms (not imposing external standards)
- Grading that honors creative process and revision
- Teaching that doesn’t require self-destruction
- Programs that can actually last
Who This Is For
- Independent/private schools looking to build or strengthen creative writing programs
- Public schools exploring low-residency models
- Homeschool cooperatives and alternative learning communities
- Colleges considering new program development
- Individual educators wanting to develop their teaching practice
- Anyone who thinks traditional creative writing education is broken and wants alternatives
How to Get Started
Email me at tj@tjbman.me with:
- What you’re trying to build (or fix)
- Timeline and constraints
- Budget range
- What success would look like
I’ll respond within 2-3 business days to discuss whether we’re a good fit and how I might help.
Project-Based vs. Ongoing Relationships
I work both ways:
Project-based:
- You have a specific need (design a program, build a curriculum, train faculty)
- We agree on deliverables and timeline
- I complete the work and hand it off
Ongoing consulting:
- Your program is launching and needs continued support
- You want regular check-ins as you implement curriculum
- You’re building something new and want a thinking partner
Both models work — just depends on what you need.
Ready to build something better? Email tj@tjbman.me and let’s talk.