What parents & educators
are saying…
“Thank you so much for the wonderful job you did with P. in WHISPERshout. It's great to see him do creative things outside of the regular classroom. We have already registered for the next class…he can't wait to be in your class again!”
Samantha Platz, ESOL/ELD teacher:
“Ms. Mordhorst has the wonderful ability of helping multilingual learners learn to express their thoughts and feelings through poetry. She is adept at supporting students of different ages as they develop language skills and engage in collaborative and creative writing projects. Ms. Mordhorst helps students understand the power of writing and helps students see themselves as poets.”
Lisa M., parent:
“Ms. Mordhorst and the WHISPERshout workshop was a well of creative knowledge and a thrilling outlet for my kinder- gartner. She enjoyed the reading, writing, and group activities that allowed her to explore new subjects that she wouldn’t necessarily be able to dive into during her regular school day.”
Matthew Gamard, 2nd Grade Team Leader:
"Heidi Mordhorst worked with my second graders on two separate occasions. During her visits she focused on free verse. Ms. Mordhorst came well prepared with samples of her work and charts of her poems for children to physically alter and dissect. She used interactive strategies to engage everyone.
After allowing students time to compose their own poems she always made a point to allow children to share, and no matter the child's poem found ways to give them positive reinforcement and individualized positive feedback. Even the struggling writers in the class received thoughtful praise. She found ways to engage them and to give each and every child positive feedback. Ms. Mordhorst is not only a talented poet but also has a natural ability to engage children in the poetry writing process."
Ellen Wellen, 4th grade teacher
“My students absolutely loved our WHISPERshout poetry workshop with Heidi! They were so engaged in turning their art into poetry, they hardly realized how much they were learning in the process! They were so proud to share their work with classmates and family. Heidi had excellent command of the class and her love of poetry and of sharing and writing it with children emanated. We can’t wait to have Heidi back for another workshop!”
Michelle Ray, 6th grade English teacher & novelist:
Joela Paik, Library Media Specialist:
“Heidi Mordhorst isn’t just a writing teacher; she’s a published poet. I have been a teacher-librarian in MCPS schools for over 20 years. In that time I have had the opportunity to teach side by side and observe many teachers. In her workshops, she inspires writers to create in ways that I have never seen with any other teacher before her. Heidi inspires children to write from their hearts. In her classes students are inspired to read carefully, write artistically, and think deeply.”
Amber T., parent:
"Both my children thoroughly enjoy their time in the small group WhisperShout Writing Workshop. They agree that it’s the highlight of their week! It transformed my shy, reluctant kindergartner into a confident reader and prolific writer. My first-grader loves having dedicated time to explore her zeal for both writing and illustrating."
Clara C., parent:
"Heidi worked with my 8-year-old to edit and organize a piece of his creative writing. I was surprised that after spending just the first session with him, she was spot-on in describing my child's personality, strengths, and interests. She was then able to suggest a direction and goal for the rest of their sessions together. Her many years of experience in the classroom gave her the skills to keep my son focused. If you are looking for an expert to help your child I'd encourage you to connect with WHISPERshout!"
“Thank you, Heidi, for sharing your passion with our children! You make a difference!
unsolicited comment from afterschool program participants 🌞
“My daughter loved her WHISPERshout experience! We were thrilled that the class got her outside exploring nature, thinking about creative use of language, closely examining objects from the natural world, and presenting her poems and ideas to the group. Ms. Heidi is a gifted and thoughtful teacher!”