If It Is an @ElizabethBoquet Collaboration Workshop Day, It Is a Beautiful Day, Indeed. @writingproject @fairfieldu

A year ago, Dr. Elizabeth Boquet was contacted by Darien Public Schools and asked to do a writing workshop for their English Department. The chair of their department wanted to initiate a conversation about responding to student writing and, because Dr. Boquet is a gracious, kind, and supportive mentor, she asked me to join forces with her. She had the expertise and brilliance of many years of leading a writing center and, with a spirited drive to be democratic and purposeful, she wanted me to stand at her side with CWP-Fairfield.

We've been colleagues, we've talked shop, and now we can say we are a collaborative team (Dang, I'd hire us. This is a pretty great workshop). Our friendship was always there, but I have to say (post-tenure and with tears in my eyes) this friendship is truly genuine and 100% appreciated.

We trialed the workshop with Darien High School last fall and I asked Beth if she'd like to resurrect it again for the Invitational Leadership Institute hosted at Fairfield University. She agreed, and when we pulled up the presentation from the Fall to make adjustments. We had to high-five one another, however, because the presentation we created almost a year ago is astute, simple, usable, thought-provoking and helpful. As Beth texted in the wee hours before we co-presented, "Yesterday's Beth needs to hug yesterday's Bryan because they put together a solid workshop needing little adjustment." Any of us who do this for a living no how rare that is.

It's impossible to capture the movement and nuances that come from the teachers as a result of this workshop or to name the exact strategies we shared in response to writing (it has to be experienced). All I can say is that the opportunity teachers get (in a focused, intent, and practical way) changes teaching practices forever.  The epiphanies (typical in National Writing Project work) arrive in stereo and although we planned for 60 minutes, our 120 minutes with participants resulted because teachers are engaged and want to learn more. They are thirsty and responsive. Beth reflected, "We now know we can do this workshop in 50 minutes or 4 hours. We're that good."

It should be pointed out, too, that the morning workshop was one resurrected from NCTE St. Louis in 2017. William King, David Wooley, Jessica Baldizon, and I promised one another that there would be no tears in the presentation, and we would just name the incredible power of Ubuntu to show how it has effected our research, teaching, and work. We didn't have to kick-start emotions on our own. The teachers came to that themselves. We are on day-two of National Writing Project work and already the teacher-leaders are saying, "This work is life-changing. This is vision I've been waiting for my whole career."

And I say (Louisville Writing Project), as well as Julie, my co-director, says (New York City Writing Project), that it is NOT our co-directorship that makes this magic - it is the very heart, soul and mission of NWP. Across the U.S., at locations in every state, teacher institutes occur. It is the model at work: We are the research. We are what works. We are the agents for improving literacy instruction. Even if local, state, and national governments have lost their way, we still do what is best for American youth and the communities we believe in.

NWP for life.