Clarity, Confidence, and Community: Reimagining PD for Writing Teachers

My first year teaching writing workshop was a rollercoaster of confusion and self-doubt. My minilessons weren’t mini. My language wasn’t predictable. Student engagement was low.

That didn’t change overnight. Over time, I received powerful professional development. I followed my mentors’ advice, whether it came through a book, an institute, or a quiet coaching moment. They taught me something essential: anyone can become a strong writing teacher with the right support.

My evolution as a writing teacher is why I’ve spent the past few years supporting new teachers in their practice. In June 2022, I led our school’s first writing institute. For four days, I met elementary teachers in a 4th-grade classroom to deepen teachers’ understanding of writing workshop, strengthen mini-lesson design, and plan for the following school year. Most importantly, we started each day by writing in community. We wrote to connect with what it feels like to be a writer. We talked about writing identity. Teachers left with a clearer sense of the what, how, and why of writing instruction.

That week reminded me: strong writing instruction doesn’t start with lesson plans. It starts with teachers who feel confident and grounded in their teaching. It starts with teachers who understand what goes on in a writer’s mind. It starts with teachers who can recognize what each writer is doing well and where they’re ready to grow.

This summer, I’m bringing the institute back—not as a repeat, but as a response. A response to our newest teachers who are just beginning their journey with writer’s workshop, and a chance to revisit and deepen the work with those who attended the first institute and still have questions. Here’s what I’m prioritizing as I plan:

1. Build Deep Content Knowledge

Understanding writing instruction content empowered me as a new teacher. It gave me the confidence to plan with purpose, adjust instruction on the fly, and speak with clarity during minilessons.

That kind of confidence comes from more than reading a unit overview—it comes from asking:

• What do the standards and progressions tell me?
• What skills matter most in each genre?
• How do those skills evolve over time?

We will engage in an inquiry, noting and naming… 

When teachers see the big picture, they can better support the daily moves writers need.

2. Strengthen the Minilesson Muscle

You don’t become a master of minilessons overnight. It takes consistent practice and targeted feedback. Naming the parts of a minilesson and rehearsing transitions before teaching helps tremendously.

A few beliefs that guide this work:

• Minilessons improve through practice, not just planning.
• Strong transitions make instruction smoother.
• Engagement grows when we move from “one student shares” to “everyone participates.”
• Feedback and reflection are essential for growth.

Teachers will have the chance to plan and practice minilessons, using videos, observation tools, and discussion protocols to study each part of a strong lesson and spark impactful conversations. Throughout, we’ll focus on recognizing what each writer brings to the table—and what they need next.

3. Focus on the Big Picture: Independence

There’s an “aha” moment when teachers realize the true goal of workshop is sustained, independent writing time. That shift—from “today’s task” to “today’s invitation to write”—changes everything.

It gives us time to confer and lead small groups. It allows us to focus less on finished products and more on process. It helps students begin to trust themselves as writers.

4. Become a Writing Coach

When I started seeing students as writers on a journey—not just performers of a task—it changed everything. Coaching means building from strengths, knowing where students are, and guiding them forward.

To coach effectively, teachers will lear

• Know where students are in the learning progression.
• Offer just-right support through conferences and small groups.
• Differentiate based on content and student needs.

We’ll use genre-specific learning progressions, a step-by-step structure for running conferences and small groups, and videos to unpack each part of the process—all with the goal of helping students take the lead in their own learning.

5. Create a Community of Writers

Great writing instruction doesn’t happen in isolation. Teachers grow when they unpack curriculum together, study student work side by side, and write themselves, creating samples, trying strategies, and living the process.

My goal is for this institute to be a launchpad for the school year ahead, for PLCs, and for the conversations we’ll keep having about writing.

Final Thoughts

When I plan this kind of professional development, I picture the mentors who shaped my teaching. I hear their words in the advice I pass on. Confidence matters. So does content knowledge. But the most important piece? A strong net of support and collaboration.

Because when teachers feel grounded in their practice—and connected to one another—they’re able to do their best work for young writers.

Ana Valentina Patton is part of our slicing community. When she wrote about her writing institutes, we invited her to share this work with the entire TWT community. In addition to being a slicer, Ana is the Instructional Coordinator at a private school in Miami, FL, and she loves nothing more than inspiring teachers to love and teach writing. Originally from Venezuela, Ana taught in an international school in Cairo, Egypt, for six years. In her free time, she loves reading with her daughter and playing board games with her history teacher husband. Connect with her on her blog.