Overview:
By grounding professional development in shared challenges, collaborative book study, and personalized coaching and academic coach has changed the writing culture at her Title 1 school.
Elementary school is where a child’s love of writing formulates and blossoms. For some of those schools, including my Florida Title I school, writing instruction has become more complex and inconsistent. A survey I conducted about professional development with my teachers revealed that 69% of them dreaded teaching writing and wished they had more support. But it was not only the teachers who felt this way. Through walkthroughs, observations, and data collection, it became apparent that the lack of effective writing instruction was also leaving an impression on the students. Last spring, in the same survey, I asked them other questions, such as, “What area of instruction do you feel least comfortable teaching?” and “What kind of professional development would you like to see next year?” The overwhelming response? Writing. I could hear their cries for help through the computer screen.
As an academic literacy coach, I took that feedback to heart and decided to make writing our schoolwide focus this year. I knew that if I was going to ask teachers to invest time and energy in professional development and other support structures, it had to feel different from the one-and-done sessions that often fall flat, with no follow-up or check-ins. It had to work.
Here’s what made the difference:
Often in teaching, we do things out of compliance or because we’re told to. Our mindset is never the same when we must be somewhere versus when we choose to be there. Instead of launching into a writing PD series and coaching cycles just because “district said so,” we started with a simple conversation. I was honest and transparent when sharing the survey results with the staff. In that conversation, I acknowledged that although they might teach different subjects, grade levels, or achievement levels, we all had the same pain when it came to writing. Writing felt overwhelming. The curriculum wasn’t clear. Student engagement was low. Teachers were trying everything, but nothing was working.
By focusing on a shared challenge instead of a top-down solution, teachers felt seen and involved in problem-solving. They didn’t just show up at the meetings because they had to, they showed up because they were part of the solution.
We Used an Oprah Winfrey-Style Book Study to Build Buy-In and Community
I spent the summer envisioning how this could come to life. I knew I didn’t want to stand in front of a PowerPoint, lecturing about how to teach writing better. I envisioned meaningful conversations, laughter over both successes and failures, and me sitting alongside teachers in a relaxed, supportive space. What better way to achieve this than by basing the meetings and support around a great book and shared food? I introduced The Writing Rope by Joan Sedita as our anchor text. It’s practical, research-based, and approachable, which was perfect for a mix of new teachers, seasoned pros, and even STEM teachers who were nervous about writing instruction.
I figured, if Oprah could build a community around books, why couldn’t I?
rachel duffen
Our book study met every other Tuesday before school. Each participant signed up for a week to bring breakfast in for everyone. We shared real stories from our classrooms. We laughed a lot. Each week, a designated participant presented on a writing strategy they tried and the results they saw. The book gave us a common language, and the discussion gave us space to reflect, question, and grow together. It didn’t feel like a task. It felt like a team.
We Paired Every Professional Development Session with Personalized Coaching
After each meeting, I followed up in classrooms. Not with a clipboard and checklist, but with sleeves rolled up, ready to teach. I taught writing in classrooms not only as a model for the teacher, but also to be part of the solution to determine what was going to work for these students. I co-taught, helped troubleshoot, and joined teachers during planning to personalize writing instruction for their students.
This coaching bridged the gap between theory and practice and brought what we read in the book to life. It was also a way to see what we were reading in the text, in action. It made the meetings feel doable, not overwhelming. Teachers started telling me things like, “I actually look forward to teaching writing now,” and “My students are writing more than ever, and they’re excited about it.”
The Results
Is our school perfect at writing instruction now? Not yet. I can say that we are on our way. Teachers are more confident, students are engaged, writing is no longer dreaded, and PD is now something teachers ask for, not avoid.
The truth is, writing professional development doesn’t have to flop. It must feel real (like someone talking with you, not to you), relevant (like something you want to do not told to do), and supported (like you are not the only one holding up the weight).
Rachel Duffen is a Literacy Learning Design Coach at Schrader Elementary School in Pasco County, FL. She supports teachers and students through coaching, professional development, and a schoolwide focus on writing. Rachel has been in education for over 10 years and has done everything from early childhood to elementary and now remains in a coaching role.
