Fereshteh Ahmadi

About Me

My name is Fereshteh Ahmadi. I studied architecture at the University of Tehran, but I always knew that nothing brings me as much joy and fulfillment as reading and writing. Through extensive and serious reading, I gradually began writing short stories, poems, memoirs, and later, novels. In my pursuit of becoming a professional writer, I learned from established authors and creative writing teachers, read many books, and now, for years, writing, reading, editing, and teaching writing techniques have been the most important parts of my life. I have had—and continue to have—many students in both Iran and Canada who write in various genres. I design educational plans for them based on their interests and age. In teaching writing techniques, I support my students from the most basic levels to advanced stages, and finally in guiding and consulting them on publishing. In teaching the craft of writing, I believe in the importance of doing various exercises to make story elements more tangible, as well as reading and analyzing a wide range of texts. So, together with my students, and considering their age group and background, we study and explore different books. Above all, I strongly believe that the learning process must be enjoyable. That’s why I try to create a warm and welcoming environment, using creative approaches to make the experience as pleasant and engaging as possible.

Teaching Method

In my creative writing classes, I first assess the student's level, and based on that, I design a specific plan for each class or individual student. In these classes, we refer to books such as Elements of Fiction by Mr. Mirsadeghi and The Act of Criticism by Catherine Belsey. In Persian language classes, I use the Farsi Biamoozim series published by Madreseh Publications, and I try to make the learning process enjoyable—especially for younger students—by incorporating a variety of exercises. In teaching Persian, written exercises are assigned to the student, and a wide range of visual and oral activities are shared with them during the class.

Experience

• Taught Modern Literary History at Khaanesh Institute for two years • Taught Short Story Writing at Baharan Institute over several scattered semesters • Taught Novel Writing at Baharan Institute for one year • Taught Editing at the Institute for Text Editing and more, for two semesters • Taught Creative Writing to children in private in-person classes for one year • Worked as a substitute Persian teacher at an elementary school for six months • Teaching introductory and advanced creative writing at Kandoo School in Toronto, from one year ago to the present