Teaching
Cleyvis Natera is a talented writer whose love of storytelling translates into a gift for teaching. During the 2024-2025 academic year, she will be a Visiting Assistant Professor of English, Spanish & Latino Studies at Montclair State University. Aside from teaching literature, fiction, and Latinx studies, this appointment includes the task of leading the development of a Bilingual M.F. A. Program in Creative Writing. In 2024, Natera won the Toni Morrison Fiction Fellowship at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. The fellowship included a teaching assistantship with Helen Schulman. While at Bread Loaf, Natera also taught a craft workshop on propulsion and narrative tension and was invited to sit on a panel where writers of color discussed craft specific issues for the entire conference population. Natera has been admitted to the Fulbright Associate’s Program and will be part of it until April 2027. This program will enable Natera to participate as a creative writing teacher and guest writer abroad. Natera anticipates teaching a fiction workshop in Spring 2025 at The New School Creative Writing M.F.A. Program.
In the United States, Natera has taught at the undergraduate level most recently at Barnard College of Columbia University and Fordham University. Natera has extensive experience teaching at the graduate level, both at low residency and full residency M.F.A. programs. Recent appointments as a fiction instructor and workshop leader have included roles at St. Joseph’s University, City College of New York, and Antioch University in Los Angeles.
Natera also has experience teaching at week-long workshops in person and online. She’s taught at The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Tin House’s Winter Online Workshop, Juniper Writing Institute, and Kenyon Writers Workshop, among many others. If you’re interested in extending a teaching opportunity, send an email to her at cleyvis@cleyvisnatera.com.
Praise for Cleyvis Natera’s teaching methods
From The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown:
“I have taken many workshops with admirable writers at FAWC. All were great experiences but Cleyvis was the most generous as a teacher because she met each of us where we were with candor, practical advice, and a passionate desire to help us be the best we could be. Her advice was very practical – fueled by her desire to encourage and support our success.’
“Cleyvis is a superbly gifted, charismatic, caring teacher who is committed to every student and brings a wealth of advice and insight about writing fiction. Straight forward, actionable, strategies for each person in the class.”
From The Kenyon Review Writer’s Workshop:
“I have participated in numerous workshops at other conferences with excellent faculty. Cleyvis is the best so far. She has so many positive qualities: engaging, enthusiastic, positive, supportive, respectful, thoughtful, and funny.”
“Cleyvis is an exceptional workshop leader. The insights are so sharp, yet her delivery is warm and empathetic. I came here because I knew I’d learn more from her about writing and teaching. She handles uncomfortable moments with deftness and corrects students’ behavior without shaming.”
“Cleyvis is wonderful! I believe she’s the best instructor I’ve ever had. She’s so effortlessly kind and authoritative.”
“Cleyvis provided a masterclass in workshop facilitation. She emphasizes the importance of boundaries and limits with the express intention of fairness. She handled difficult topics well, both addressing the issue and tabling it for later discussion”
“Cleyvis is skilled, knowledgeable, and super fast at giving substantive and helpful feedback in the moment. She has clear protocols for workshopping and shepherded us through some difficult moments without compromising anyone’s dignity.”
From Tin House:
“Cleyvis Natera brought a fantastic combination of positive energy, expertise, supportiveness, and acumen.”
“Cleyvis is AMAZING. so amazing and so full of energy and craft wisdom — i loved that she offered constructive feedback to those of us who wanted it. brilliant, and the three hours flew by. i also laughed so much!”
“This was the best workshop I’ve been to in a long time, and I have been to many over the years. Cleyvis was a wonderful workshop leader. She was super welcoming, very funny, gave really insightful comments about writing, and was very enthusiastic about the topic and her recommendations for stories that demonstrate the concept of moving the plot along. Her examples were really clear (e.g. the difference between a character’s abstract and concrete desires, contradictions in the same character, etc.) She organized it very well, was very supportive of everyone who shared, and was generally just a great teacher. I really liked her idea of matching up writers with accountability partners.”
From Story Studio Chicago:
“I thought the class would have been only about themes (activism and social engagement) but this was actually a brilliant masterclass on craft — characters, setting. I really loved the time for generative writing as well. I came away with a scene that I can use to great impact in my work in progress.”
“Cleyvis Natera displayed skill, knowledge, originality and compassion in giving us a semester’s worth of craft knowledge in 2 hours, while keeping us engaged and the material engaging. She listened to participants with a keen ear and in real time helped us see how to develop or rework ideas for maximum effect.”
“Cleyvis’ enthusiasm is infectious.”