Mr. Beadle will conduct a five-day writing residency with the 4th graders next week. Michael Beadle is an award-winning poet, author, historian and teaching artist with a passion for language, writing and literature. He has taught in the classroom since 1999 and performed poetry professionally since 1998. His focus in teaching is to encourage, inspire and challenge writers to express themselves and become more confident with writing so they can continue to be lifelong learners and creative problem solvers. Michael’s background includes five years as a high school English teacher and 15 as a journalist. He has authored three poetry chapbooks, a poetry CD, and three books on Haywood County (NC) history. In 2012, he was selected as a poet-in-residence at the NC Zoo. He also manages student contests for the NC Poetry Society. Cultural Arts residencies like this are paid for by the NRE PTA with help from a grant by the United Arts Council.