COMMUNICATING THE JOY OF WRITING AT DEVOTION SCHOOL

“My students don’t complain, ‘I don’t know what to write’ anymore,” enthuses Joel Klein, a sixth grade Devotion School Language Arts teacher.  “From the very first day of school, I was able to implement a new writing curriculum that kids love and that gets them writing.”  Through a grant from the Brookline Education Foundation, Joel Klein and six other Brookline educators participated in a unique professional development opportunity this summer at the Writers’ Express Program at Simmon’s College.

Participants received two days of training in the Writers’ Express approach, at the heart of which is the conviction that students will enjoy writing once they recognize that they have something to say and are given the skills to express themselves powerfully. Teachers who participated in the grant found the approach useful for all ages and abilities. 

Devotion teacher Julia Peck adapted the approach for neophyte second graders writers through their drawings.  She asked her students to draw a picture and then redo it, concentrating on one part of the drawing and adding details. “Kids are always being asked to say more and give more details.This exercise teaches young students how to do that,’’ explains Peck.

Following the training, grant participants applied their new skills at the Writers’ Express Summer Camp. Teachers and students alike benefited from this experience, with teachers receiving hands-on training and students receiving high-quality summer enrichment. In addition, scholarships from the Friends of Devotion Kirthi Reddy Fund allowed seven low-income middle school students to attend the summer camp.

Devotion principal, Gerardo Martinez, a former ELA teacher, is effusive about the Writers’ Express technique. "In such a short time, students' writing improves dramatically, but more impressive is their ability to comment with precision on the elements that make their classmate's pieces stand out."

" When I analyze written comments left by teachers for students, there is always a 'nice job' 'good work' comment that rarely is followed by clarity on how and, most importantly, where to improve a piece. Writers’ Express makes explicit the importance of giving targeted written feedback which includes giving students revision assignments to improve the ‘showing’ goal in their writing,” says Martinez. Klein adds that this intensive, structured review process allows him to differentiate for all levels of learners—from the reluctant to the gifted writer.

The learning fostered by the grant will continue this school year as Writers’ Express trainers observe grant participants in their classrooms and give feedback and support. Grant participants also will present what they have learned to other Brookline teachers during the November Professional Development Day, enabling even more Brookline educators to learn techniques that can lead to effective, engaging, and powerful writing by their students.