Resource Topics

Policy and Reform - Teacher Leadership

A Reunion and a Patchwork Quilt: Taking the Directors Retreat Home

June 2008
Nick Coles
Site leaders who attended the 2007 Directors Retreat reunite to talk about the programs and changes they've implemented at their sites. The Directors Retreat experience continues to live on in unexpected ways. More ›

Developing Communities of Practice in Schools

September 2008
The authors describe a successful teacher community of practice as one that is well designed and guided, usually developing one facet of instruction through joint work, supported by a proactive administrator and broad teacher leadership. More ›

Rural Leaders, Rural Places: Problem, Privilege, and Possibility

May 2008
Kathleen Budge
Kathleen Budge reveals the disconnect between educators' feelings of privilege residing in a rural community and problems they see for their students in these communities. She calls for "critical leadership of place" based on awareness of this paradox. More ›

The Written Word

Teacher Development Sourcebook, Fall 2008
Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, NWP's Director of National Programs and Site Development, discusses the philosophy of the writing project in the Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook. She notes how the writing project advances the concept of "differentiation" that makes classrooms work for a range of students, builds understanding between students and teachers, and promotes teacher leadership. More ›

Transforming Writing: Teacher-Consultants Lead Change in Their Schools

September 2007
Linda Friedrich
This article analyzes the stories of NWP Vignette Study participants who facilitated change in their schools, identifying and elaborating upon three concepts that seem key to successful leadership within a school. More ›

Teachers, Writers, Leaders

Educational Leadership, September 2007
Ann Lieberman, Linda Friedrich
Using data from NWP's Vignette Study, the authors describe how teachers take on leadership roles and how building community is crucial to their success. More ›

After the Summer Institute: Opportunities for Teacher Leadership

The Voice, 2005
Linda Friedrich
The National Writing Project, along with Inverness Research Associates and Ann Lieberman of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, has launched a study on the nature of teacher leadership developed through the writing project. This article, drawing on interview data from the study, highlights TCs' descriptions of how they contribute to their students, their peers, and their writing project sites, and how their connection with their local writing project nurtures them as teachers and leaders... More ›

The Professional Leadership Development Project

National Writing Project At Work, March 2005
Zsa Boykin, Sarah Robbins, Jennifer Scrivner
More ›

The Saginaw Teacher Study Group Movement: From Pilot to Districtwide Study Groups in Four Years

National Writing Project At Work, March 2005
Mary Calliari, Janet Rentsch, Mary Weaver
More ›

Completing the Paradigm Shift to Process Writing: The Need to Lead

The Quarterly, Winter 2003
Samuel Totten
Largely as a result of the National Writing Project, thousands of teachers have been introduced to and affected by what researchers know of the best practice in the teaching of writing. Yet, according to Samuel Totten, the writing reforms that have occurred in individual classrooms have not taken hold to the point where there has been a "paradigm shift" in the way writing is taught. In this article, Totten argues that this "shift will not be made anytime soon without the full leadership, support, and resources of district and school administrators." This piece details the steps that can make this happen. More ›

The Fledgling Years: Lessons from the First Four Years of the NWP in Vermont

National Writing Project at Work, November 2002
Patricia McGonegal, Anne Watson
More ›

Fledgling Activist Takes Wing: Testifying for What I Believe In

The Voice, November-December 2000
Carrie Holmberg
Fourth-grade teacher Carrie Holmberg's experience testifying about a National Board Certification bill in California gave her insight into effective testimony and inspired her to further activism. More ›

Leadership Profiles: Idaho Site Director Has Energy to Spare

The Voice, September-October 2000
Art Peterson
This new Voice feature—highlighting NWP network leaders--profiles Elinor Michel, director of the Northwest Inland Writing Project, and features descriptions of some of her site's yearly events. More ›

National Writing Project

resources

Resource Topics

Policy and Reform - Teacher Leadership

A Reunion and a Patchwork Quilt: Taking the Directors Retreat Home

Developing Communities of Practice in Schools

Rural Leaders, Rural Places: Problem, Privilege, and Possibility

The Written Word

Transforming Writing: Teacher-Consultants Lead Change in Their Schools

Teachers, Writers, Leaders

After the Summer Institute: Opportunities for Teacher Leadership

The Professional Leadership Development Project

The Saginaw Teacher Study Group Movement: From Pilot to Districtwide Study Groups in Four Years

Completing the Paradigm Shift to Process Writing: The Need to Lead

The Fledgling Years: Lessons from the First Four Years of the NWP in Vermont

Fledgling Activist Takes Wing: Testifying for What I Believe In

Leadership Profiles: Idaho Site Director Has Energy to Spare

Tapping the Potential: Building Teacher Leadership While Rethinking Your Site

Teachers Telling Teachers About the NWP

NWP Director Tackles Standards, National Site Support

Book Review: Deciding to Lead, by Denny Wolfe and Joseph Antinarella

The Seven-Year Itch: Politics and Literacy

Long Hours, Low Pay, Endless Compromises: The Not-So-Big Jump from Teaching to Politicking

One Director's Role as Leader, Contextualizer, Researcher, Enabler, and Site Conscience