Pro.+Dev.+Workshops



In-service Workshop Series

Throughout the academic year TCWP Teacher Consultants conduct professional development workshops in school- and district-sponsored programs. Each series is tailored to meet the needs of the teachers in the district involved. Working from a firm belief in the power of classroom-tested knowledge, the Third Coast Writing Project chooses as consultants successful practicing teachers who have participated in the Invitational Summer Institute on the campus of Western Michigan University. TCWP Teacher Consultants work with teachers in all subject areas, sharing best practices and working with teachers on their own writing. TCWP Teacher Consultants present interactive workshop sessions that feature practical classroom strategies, demonstration and modeling, writing experiences for participants, discussion about why the strategies are recommended, and practical classroom-focused handout materials.

 Consultations can be scheduled to address the individual needs and interests of teachers at particular grade levels or teachers of a particular content area. The consultant for a day works individually and/or in small groups with teachers, usually as they are available during their planning time, to address issues and concerns identified by the teachers.
 * Consultant for a Day **

 For each session, a Teacher Consultant presents a classroom demonstration lesson, while the teacher or a group of teachers observe, followed by a debriefing session for reflection, discussion, and collaborative coaching. On-Site Writing Institute **  TCWP Teacher Consultants and/or Co-Directors provide a one- or two-week long institute (4-6 hours a day) that includes presentations about writing, teaching demonstrations, writing, response groups, and discussion of "hot issues" related to writing and the teaching of writing. (Institute participants can earn WMU graduate credit.) This program can be designed to include a Camp for Young Writers that takes place half-days during a second and/or third week. For more information about TCWP's Professional Development Programs, contact Ellen Brinkley at 269-387-2581 or ellen.brinkley@wmich.edu.
 * Demonstration Sessions **
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// **Time to Act:**  // Carnegie Report on Adolescent Literacy Calls Writing Projects A Proven Model of Teacher Professional Development Click on the image to access the Carnegie Corporation website to review this important new study of adolescent literacy, released in September, 2009. The report includes the recommendation that National Writing Project professional development programs, such as the kind offered by the Third Coast Writing Project, are a national model for effective professional development for teachers.