Teaching Teachers

Read my Metawriting posts about the National Writing Project and teaching.

While my work as the Site Director for the Morehead Writing Project includes a great deal of administrative work, it is primarily about teaching teachers and supporting their professional growth and development. Sometimes this involves the direct work of leading sessions during the Summer Institute or at an event such as the Writing Eastern Kentucky Conference and other times it includes mentoring teachers as they develop their own research projects and professional development offerings. I do not lead our traditional Summer Institute but have always been a key member of the team of educators organizing this experience. In 2012 I developed our online Summer Institute and led that class although it is taught using a learning community approach and I have other site leaders proving support.

We also use our youth programs, all begun under my leadership, as teaching opportunities (for teachers) and to model writing project methods for educators during our Global Graffiti Summer Writing Camp, Super Saturday Writing Camp, and Teen Writers Day Out.

I also work with our Peer Writers in the Writing Studio to both model best practices for teaching writing but also to discuss writing pedagogy and classroom management. My new role as College Readiness Coordinator has also given me the opportunity to provide similar support to the writing tutors.

Even before moving to University College and working more closely with the Center for Learning and Professional Development, I tried to position myself (as the embodiment of the National Writing Project on our campus) as a leader and resource for best practices of teaching writing. I frequently led professional development and willingly engaged in conversations and provided resources. In 2012-2013, I formed the Morehead Writing Project Professional Learning Community to provide a more formal opportunity for these conversations.

In addition to working with the Center for Learning and Professional Development and Writing Center, my new position has positioned me as a resource to the First Year Seminar program and I am currently engaged in developing assignments and resources for literacy enhanced FYS sections.

However, my reach as a metateacher extends beyond Morehead State University and the Morehead Writing Project. I am an active blogger and I share my ideas and discoveries through social media. I am active in NWP online communities as well as others. I am a teacher of teachers and my lessons matter to those in my personal learning network which spans the globe. I am a strong advocate for the teachers I work with to employ social media and technology to access the power of their own PLN.