Teachers, are you weary of administrators and "experts" telling you how to teach writing? Are you frustrated by a writing curriculum that was imposed on you but does not honor what you are already doing well? Here's a free self-help program for you and your fellow teachers to collaboratively build an effective writing program on your collective strengths. It is a K-12 Curriculum Development Process-Journal and a Guide to Best Practices and Key Resources (Also adaptable for college and adult level writing programs.)

IT IS CURRENTLY A FREE DOWNLOAD; CLICK ON ATTACHMENT ABOVE

What is a Process Journal?
A process journal is a journal in which people attending a seminar write down their own thoughts and ideas before discussing them with others in the seminar. Then, after discussing what each has written, the people in the seminar record in the journal the key ideas gendered in the discussion and any agreements that have been collaboratively arrived at. As the seminar progresses, the journal becomes both the engine that drives the seminar and a record of what was accomplished.

In the 35 plus years that I've been in education, I remember how often I disliked many of the training programs offered on Superintendent's Day. They usually focused on the educational fad of the day or on a topic that one of the administrators was working on for his or her doctorate but they never seemed to focus on what's already in place and working well. By not focusing first on what was already working, such programs imply to teachers that the administration does not value what the teachers are doing.

The WRITING IQ Process Journal begins with each teacher's strengths and each program's strengths and then builds on both. It is based on my 30+ years as a writing teacher and coach and on the many teacher development programs and graduate courses I have given over the years. It also reflects some recent work I've done with Appreciative Inquiry.

After having the teachers review existing good practices already in place in their school, the Process Journal leads them into collaboratively moving these existing practices forward to create a school- wide and district-wide seamless writing curriculum that includes common terms, processes, and practices. It encourages the teachers to focus the writing program on two key issues: the Impact of the Content and the Quality of the Language in each student's piece of writing and in each student's overall writing skills. It further guides teachers into collaboratively creating a Writer's Guide/Assessment Tool (similar to, but more practical than a rubric) that grows developmentally as students progress through the year and from year to year. After that, the Process Journal gives the teachers a review of best practices widely used in other schools from which teachers can collaboratively select complementary practices to what's already in place. Finally, the Process Journal gives a review of resources and an appendix filled with other useful material.

The benefits of using this Process Journal are significant:

• Teachers will strongly support the curriculum developed because it is theirs and they know it is based on widely used best practices.
• Teachers will gain a valuable resource guide and a record of the collaboratively developed curriculum and a tool for any follow-up seminars for reviewing and assessing the program.
• Students will gain positive developmental skills because the curriculum will be seamless with common terms, processes, and practices from year to year.

Receive a free copy of the Writing IQ Process Journal:
The Writing IQ Process Journal was initially and successfully tested at a summer program at the Writing Institute for Teachers, Dominican College, Blauvelt, NY that I helped co-found. Currently it is a free download; click on the pdf link below.