Reia Ali is on a mission to elevate creative writing

BAVINA SOOKDEO

“One of my mentors had said to me, 'children may not always remember what you taught but they will always remember how you made them feel.' Those words became my mantra throughout my career as it resonated as both a student and a teacher.”

With that mantra, Reia Ali continues to inspire countless students and teachers, both locally and internationally. Ali is a teacher, author, content creator and founder of The Creative Writing Institute.

She has written the Teaching Creative Writing for Primary School Series consisting of five textbooks on report and narrative writing, catering for standards one through five:

Teaching Creative Writing for Primary Schools Standard 1&2 Report Writing;

Teaching Creative Writing for Primary Schools Standard 1&2 Narrative Writing;

Teaching Creative Writing for Primary Schools Standard Three Narrative and Report Writing;

Teaching Creative Writing for Primary Schools Standards 4&5 Report Writing; and

Teaching Creative Writing for Primary Schools Standards 4&5 Narrative Writing.

Ali, 39, is a single mother of two, from Princes Town. Her passion for writing began in her childhood through reading, inspired by her mother and grandfather, who would read her stories that captured her imagination.

In primary school, her essays were entered into competitions, and in secondary school, her English teacher’s enthusiasm kept her passion for writing alive.

She pursued Literatures in English at university and expanded her studies to include politics, history, and communication. While doing her degree, she tutored CSEC and CAPE students and interned at a local newspaper, where she gained insight into journalism.

However, teaching found her through various opportunities, and she realised it was her true calling. “Teaching never felt like a job, it was second nature,” she said.

She quips that it is the profession that keeps her impassioned, “I often tell my students that there isn’t any question that is 'silly,' every question stimulates my mind and in fact, was the basis of many of the techniques I created. In this regard, I often tell my students that I learn more from them than they realise. They are the muse behind the textbooks and will always be my motivation as an educator and author.”

Ali, who teaches at Barrackpore East Secondary, said she always believes the profession is not just about imparting knowledge, but shaping lives.

“Being a teacher allows one the ability to shape the lives of others in a way that leaves an indelible mark. With this profession comes great responsibility. It means extending yourself to be a friend at times, offering words of inspiration, and helping children navigate the various challenges they experience.”

It was while teaching at secondary level, she was confronted with a group of unmotivated boys who were struggling academically. This experience pushed her to develop new strategies for creative writing.

“I started structuring strategies using acronyms to assist their writing,” she recalled.

After seeing one of her students mixing concrete to pay for school, Ali realised that motivating these students meant more than just teaching them writing –it was about instilling a sense of self-worth.

The strategies she developed underwent trial and error, but the results were undeniable. Her innovative methods caught the attention of her principal, and soon teachers began using her techniques in their classrooms.

What started as class notes evolved into her first textbook.

“I had no ambitions of becoming an author,” she admitted. “I was simply making notes for my students, but as I typed, the notes took form and shape into a text.”

In 2021, Ali self-published her first book, Teaching Creative Writing for Primary Schools Standards 4&5 Narrative Writing, a bold move that was fuelled by her belief in the value of its content. The other books soon followed.

Her textbooks focus on narrative and report writing, providing students with self-regulating strategies to structure and develop their writing. Her love for local folklore shines through in her lessons, with characters like douens, soucouyant, and Papa Bois making appearances in students’ stories.

“Narrative writing follows the span of the imagination, and I am always excited about incorporating our rich folklore, we come from an oral tradition, we are natural storytellers, why not use what our ancestors passed on,” she said.

The books, while not part of the official curriculum, serve as valuable teaching aids. Many teachers subscribe to them, and according to Ali, their popularity is driven solely by the merit of the books themselves.

Her work has contributed significantly to raising literacy levels and her methods are now trusted by hundreds of teachers, she said.

“The textbooks are used in many schools across TT. Schools are seeing an improvement in scores in creative writing and teachers have lauded the texts for improving their confidence in teaching the subject.

"I also taught Aryan Rajbally from Felicity SDMS Hindu School, one of the top performers in the 2024 Secondary Entrance (SEA) exam, where the texts were used. Additionally, I conducted a workshop at Penal Rock Road Hindu School, which Surya Moonasar, the other student who tied with Aryan for the highest score, attended. This school also used the texts.”

In addition, these strategies were used by several post graduate students as part of their research theses, Ali said.

“I am deeply grateful that the strategies and methods that were crafted out of my experience in the classroom are now being used to assist students across the country and even internationally.”

Ali also conducts teacher training workshops, both locally and internationally, and collaborates with teachers in Mauritius, Fiji, Canada, South Africa, Dubai, Guyana, Dominica, and Barbados, she said. Her workshops have also been endorsed by Oxford University Press, and her creative writing vlogs, inspired by her techniques, are used by educators worldwide.

“Many of my students are visual learners, and I find linking their experiences with popular culture – movies, video games, and more – makes a real difference in their writing,” she said.

Looking ahead, Ali plans to launch textbooks for teaching writing at the CSEC level, with the goal of continuing to elevate creative writing education across the region.

“It should have been the first text, but it certainly will be one that will be what is needed for improvement in writing skills especially after the CSEC results this year,” she said.

As Ali continues to expand her work in education, it is her hope that her influence will leave a lasting impact on the nation’s creative minds, ensuring future generations are equipped with the skills and confidence to tell their own stories.