The Morehead Writing Project’s Bath County Learning Community, funded by a $20,000 Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Professional Development in a High-Need School Grant, celebrated the conclusion of its year-long professional development project Monday, May 6. Developed in collaboration with Bath County Schools, it was led by Bath County Middle School teacher Vickie Moriarity. Similar grants were awarded to fewer than 100 eligible NWP sites.
In addition to Moriarity, Bath County teachers who participated in the learning community include Owingsville Elementary teachers Chelsea Shields (5th grade), Tanya Hale (3rd grade), Diana (Conyers) Goodman (4th grade), and Shannon Hill (Technology Teacher – All Grade Levels); Crossroads Elementary teachers Linda Brooks (kindergarten), Jessica Haynes (3rd grade), and Lara Little (5th grade); Bath County Middle teachers Amanda Mason (ELA), Tonya Watson (ELA), and Andy Crouch (social studies); and Bath County High teacher Seth Thatcher (ELA).
Their professional development work for the year included covering writing workshop, on-demand writing, standards-based writing, technology and writing, and writing program and curriculum development. Not only did they share resources and strategies, they also grew as writers and teacher-researchers. “This grant has united teachers across grade levels, showed us how much we have in common, helped us reflect on our craft, and allowed us to sit down together and discover the possibilities for the students of Bath County,” Moriarity said.
The learning community also developed some suggestions for Bath County Schools to improve the teaching of writing and the writing development of Bath County students including:
- protected writing time
- district writing plan to address writing vertically across grade levels and horizontally across content areas
- writing instruction based on writing workshop and writing process
- combination of low and high stakes writing
- professional development specifically focused on writing instruction (process, workshop, etc.)
These recommendations were based on their survey of Bath County teachers which found that 87% of teachers believe writing should have equal emphasis with reading and math and 95% agreed that there is a need for a district-wide writing program.
In addition, they found that only 36% of Bath County teachers felt very comfortable teaching writing and 40% had received no writing professional development within the past year.
Learn more about their findings by watching this video
“Twelve K-12 teachers came together in a classroom once a month and, over time, realized that, regardless of grade level taught, we are all facing the same struggles when it comes to writing,” Moriarity said. “Acquiring strong writing skills is a process, and each student will move through those stages at different speeds. This is precisely why strong writing instruction must be provided at every grade level, and all students must have lots of dedicated writing time to practice those skills. If our schools provide this, writing will improve.”
She also noted that: “Good writing instruction requires teachers who are comfortable with the writing process. This room was filled with super teachers tonight who are comfortable with that process. Each participant clearly demonstrated their appreciation of writing craft and their awareness of the skills required to be successful writers. Every teacher in this project writes with their students and experiences the pitfalls and the mountaintops alongside their students. This helps students learn to overcome the obstacles and try some of the techniques their teachers suggest. Well done! I am honored to work with such amazing professionals!”
Moriarity also concluded that “Good writing instruction insists upon highly dedicated teachers who can see beyond what is and find ways to better reach all students. Tonight, each participant suggested a number of ideas to improve writing instruction in the Bath County School District: Dedicated writing time so students can practice the skills they are taught; more writing instruction PD to reduce teacher anxiety about teaching writing and help them implement effective writing instruction in all content areas; implementation of a more unified writing curriculum in our district that emphasizes the writing process and common writing organizers so our students develop a common, consistent vocabulary. While this type of reform takes time, this is the first time I have seen such a united vision when it comes to our district’s writing program. When this many great teachers come together and see a common vision, it is a pretty good indicator they are onto something!”