Matt is available for keynotes or workshops for teachers and/or administrators on the following topics:
Re-Write
We know a lot about how to teach writing. We know that students should be writing a lot in class. We know that going through a robust writing process improves student writing and understanding of writing. We know that students can be very effective peer mentors, if well trained. We know that good writing can be caught through careful observation of mentor texts, but that writing skills also need to be directly taught for students to grow as much as possible. We know that audiences for writing should often be authentic and that focusing only on the five-paragraph form doesn’t fully prepare writers for all they will need to write in their lives. We know that teachers should offer deep and focused feedback to writers, as opposed to quickly marking every single error. We know that writing is hard and scary, and that teachers can help students to overcome that through steady doses of positivity, enthusiasm, and relationship building.
All of these things are widely supported by research and backed by the biggest names in writing instruction, and yet we know that they are not always widely done in writing classrooms. Re-Write is half-day or full day session that shares the research and logic behind these and other writing best practices and then provides the participants with materials and strategies that they can use to start implementing these practices in their classes the next day.
If you are interested in having Matt come to your school/district, please contact him for more information.
