Responding to @PatFox45's Looking Ahead Prompt @writingproject Spring Meeting '18

As always, I'm leaving a Writing Project event inspired, re-energized, reflective, and action-oriented. Yesterday morning's Building New Pathways to Leadership, Extending the Reach of NWP is exactly what I needed after a day of meeting with legislators on the Hill. I had the privilege of sitting with Amanda VonKleist from the Northern California Writing Project to learn more about their online vision for building teacher leadership - a Hybrid Summer Institute Remix. 

As always, I love seeing the NWP family and I have a special section of my heart reserved for Pat Fox who took me under her wings when I first began directorship in Connecticut. The Pop Rocks below are for her. I love Pop Rocks as a metaphor (even though kids find mischievous ways to consume them). Every time I do a NWP event, I seem to experience the same pizazz, snap, and sizzle of Pop Rocks for my soul. I am always grateful.


I am thinking why I have always loved and stayed in the teaching profession and so much of it - perhaps all of it - has been because of the National Writing Project. I was thinking about the importance of investing in beginning teachers to help them to build leadership at their schools and a national network so they, too, can recognize the profession they passionately joined. There needs to be support for these educators and CWP should work with veteran teachers to reach out and mentor these individuals.

I'm also thinking about fusing resources, as funding depletes. Why can't Lehman College work with UConn work with Fairfield etc. to find ways to cross-pollinate ideas, opportunities, workshops, and gatherings? New Pathways may be there.

I loved the hybrid model I learned of today to reach remote areas, and I was thinking about CT's unserved communities in eastern Connecticut. I'm wondering if an arrangement might be made with administrators there to do a hybrid course (maybe partnering with Rhode Island to do this).

I'm also anxious to work with CWP teachers more on the SEED Summer Camp work, to get online playlists out there for young people who might not be able to access a NWP youth workshop in physical spaces. This works excites me.

It pops and it rocks.

I've already headed to NCTEAR with Tonya Perry and Sharonica Nelson for the next 3 days, but I know I'm once again inspired by the NWP family; in fact, I can't do much in my work without shouting out to their research, model, and ability to provide the best professional development in the nation.

Of course, there's sleep, too. I'll get to that.

A special thank you to all who do such amazing work to make the NWP meetings possible for us all. There aren't enough packages of Pop Rocks to thank you.