• improve student writing skills and raise state assessment scores
• implement current research and best practices in teaching and writing
• show teachers from all subject areas how to use writing as a tool for learning
• build a cadre of teachers who like writing and who know how to teach it well

CWP co-sponsored a Day of Writing for teachers on April 7, 2012. 

 

Twenty-four teachers attended the session in Colorado Springs led by CWP Director, Karen Hartman.  Host, Vince Puzick, gave the following report of the day:

 

"After a 90 minute workshop session with Karen Hartman to get our narrative juices flowing and ground us in the idea of teacher stories, the participants wrote independently for the next three hours. When we gathered together to share our writing at the end of that time, we had a rich tapestry of teacher stories.  Our narratives ranged from humorous lessons during TCAP preparation, to emotionally moving accounts of teacher -student interactions, to articulated frustrations when the cry for more accountability crashes into our plea for more authentic experiences for our students.  As is usually the case after experiencing writing workshop and sharing our writing, a small community of teacher-writers came together and shared in meaningful ways.
 
Participants had this to say about the day:
“This was a shot in the arm for me!  I love that there was time to write deeply.  When is the next one?”
“Excellent conference – I want to use the line ‘Who needs to hear this story and why?’ in my class.”
“Today was a wonderful opportunity to get to sit and organize my thoughts and to be reminded that, as a teacher, I have to take the time to tell my story.”