Inservice


"SLWP is certainly the best teacher instruction course possible. Also the fact that SLWP sends their trained teachers out to the other schools for inservices speaks for the writing project's mission."

--elementary teacher, Tangipahoa Parish


A major focus of the SLWP is offering training to area teachers at all grade levels and disciplines. Writing Project workshops and inservices are based these core concepts:

  • teachers who write and writers who teach.

  • the belief that teachers who write are better teachers of writing.

  • experienced teachers sharing what has worked in their own classrooms.

  • solid practices and successful activities, not gimmicks or fads.

  • teachers becoming students--learning about writing and learning through writing to be better teachers.

  • learning by doing: participants work through the activities they will take back into the classroom.

 

General Information

Workshops are

  • 90 to 120 minutes long

  • Interactive, “hands-on”

  • Led by experienced classroom teachers

  • Available during or after school and on weekends

 

Inservice Series

Inservices are usually delivered in a coordinated series of 5 workshops. Each series usually takes place over a period of several weeks or months. An SLWP coordinator organizes and attends each workshop in the series, providing continuity. Series can be custom-designed for your school or parish needs.

A typical schedule for a full-day inservice might be:

9:00 a.m. Registration and Welcome

9:30 a.m. Morning Workshop

11:00 a.m. Lunch on your own

12:30 p.m. Afternoon Workshop

2:00 p.m. Putting It Into Practice

 

Available Series

  • Best Practices in Teaching Writing, K6

  • Best Practices in Teaching Writing, 712

  • The Writing Process

  • Evaluating and Responding to Writing

  • Writing Across the Curriculum

  • Writing about a Sense of Place

  • Writing and Standards

 

Sample Elementary Series

1. Writing Across the Curriculum
Writing helps students gain a deeper understanding of math, science, art, and reading.

2. Dear Teacher . . .Using Letter Writing
Letter writing and a schoolwide postal system create new audiences for their writing.

3. Thematic Units and Writing to Learn
Thematic teaching motivates writing for multiple purposes and genres in young learners.

4. Story Starters, Sticker Stories, & Props
Prompts to motivate young writers to explore new purposes and genres.

5. Plot Development and Storyboarding
Using storyboards to organize, students write scripts and skits for videotaping.

6. Publishing Students' Writing
How and why to make books--from the writing process to the binding process--from a teacher whose students write a book a week.

 

Sample Middle and High School Series

1. Writing Workshop
Turn your classroom into a writing workshop, focusing your students on revising and conferencing.

2. “Dummies” in the Classroom
A simple mannequin can help students explore may subject areas by providing a focus for writing activities.

3. Parental Involvement and Writing
Using parent-teacher-student journals and parent report cards, parents are involved in their child's learning.

4. You've Got Mail
Use letter writing to improve student writing skills, teaching them about audience, purpose, etc.

5. Real World Writing
Use real-world writing formats such as letters, resumes, and brochures.

6. Bridging Science and Language Arts
Teach math and science through writing and responding to students' writing outside the language arts classroom.