Meet Teaching Artist Kalena Miller
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Kalena Miller is a writer, teacher, and editor from Maple Grove, Minnesota. She received her bachelors from Carleton College and her masters of fine arts from Hamline University's Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults program. Kalena has seven years of teaching experience, and she is the co-founder of K&K Editorial, which provides professional editorial services, writing tutoring, and creative writing coaching for kids and teenagers. In her own creative work, Kalena writes fiction and nonfiction for middle grade and young adult audiences. Her debut YA novel, The Night When No One Had Sex, was published on October 12, 2021, with Albert Whitman & Company. Her middle grade novel, Break a Leg, Shannon Carter, is forthcoming from Delacorte Press in spring 2023.
To see Kalena's current class line up, visit her artist bio page.
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When did you start teaching? What path—career or otherwise—brought you here?
I first started teaching writing classes in college when I worked at my campus Academic Support Center. After I finished my MFA in creative writing and began my own writing career, I moved into teaching workshops and short-term classes for both teens and adults.
How would you describe your teaching style?
I like to imagine I have a relaxed, low-pressure, and collaborative teaching style. Bring snacks, bring books, bring your cat (please) and engage in whatever way suits your needs best. (Literally no pressure to have your webcam on if it's a virtual class. I take plenty of classes from bed.) As a teacher, I want to have fun and create an environment where we can all learn from each other as writers and artists. I approach each class with a flexible plan and adjust based on the skill levels, interests, and personalities we have in the room.
When it comes to imagining and creating classes, where do your ideas come from? What in particular inspires you?
On the publishing and career side of writing courses, I like teaching classes about things I talk about obsessively in my own life. Namely, social media and online platforms for authors. For craft and process-based classes, my ideas often stem from areas where I'm struggling in my own writing. In those instances, I find myself doing tons of research, looking to mentor texts, and thinking critically about the topic until I can approach my work with a new lens. And at that point, I've basically planned a whole class and enjoy sharing with others.
Regardless of what your class is specifically focusing on, what's the main goal you have for your students?
For me, taking writing classes is as much about the community as it is the content. While I certainly hope students will leave with an increased understanding of the topic or some new ideas for their work in progress, my number one priority is creating a warm, welcoming, and collaborative space where writers can come together. Writing is often such a solitary pursuit that even taking one morning to join with other creatives and exchange ideas can be so energizing and empowering.
What are goals you have for yourself? These could be teaching goals, writing goals, career goals, community goals, etc.
I want to continue developing as a teaching artist, specifically creating new classes and workshops that perhaps provide a different experience for writers in our community. I'm also always striving to continue making connections and learning from the incredible writers and artists around me. As an introvert who can (occasionally) focus too much on product-based goals, I want to slow down and focus on craft outside of publishing deadlines.
What have been some of your own favorite educational experiences?
Hands down, my experience getting an MFA at Hamline University in the Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults program was the highlight of my writing education and career. In two years, I went from having an unrefined passion for creative writing to feeling prepared to enter this wild and demanding industry. The people I met in that program are still some of my closest friends, and I am so grateful for the skills I gained as a writer, researcher, teacher, and collaborator.
To you personally, what is the most important part of the literary arts?
I'm a sucker for humor in creative writing, no matter the form or subject. Endeavoring to "create" is an overwhelming, serious undertaking, so I think a bit of levity can do wonders to lighten the burden. As someone who loves writing comedy, humor is obviously crucial to my own work, but I always find myself learning and thinking most creatively when there's a bit of wackiness in the room. I'm not certain I would argue humor is the MOST important part of the literary arts, but it's definitely an undervalued one!