What is the DWP?

For over three decades, the National Writing Project has provided one of our nation’s most respected professional development approaches. NWP’s belief in the power of “teachers teaching teachers” has proven popular with educators at all levels of our profession and effective at enhancing student learning. Comprised of tens of thousands of teachers and over 200 local sites nationwide and abroad, NWP has served millions of students since its inception.

How do I get involved?

Imagine spending four weeks completely immersed in the teaching of writing and your own development as a writer. Put yourself into an institute classroom one sunny morning, where you find your teacher is one of the metro area’s best writing teachers demonstrating her most successful approach to teaching writing. Then, over lunch, you talk with a fellow teacher and an institute consultant about new approaches to integrating state standards with how you teach writing to your students.

How to stay involved

The most important place the DWP fellows take their Summer Institute experience is into their classrooms.

“This year I have really enjoyed teaching grammar in context.  I heard so much this summer about Jeff Anderson, so I've used many of his lessons already, and his ideas truly make grammar more interesting for both the students and me.  I find myself asking my students to think like writers much more than I ever have before.  Two favorite phrases of mine are the following: "How would you use this as a writer?" and "What effect does this have on this piece of writing?" –Kristen Nelson  

Spotlight on DWP authors

A Tale of the Grass is Greener on Both Sides
Marcia A. Omafray
All of my stories have escaped me. I used to have marvelous stories to tell of new beginnings, new friendships, travels and adventures of distant lands. Even everyday occurrences had a ring to them, a great story to be told. My life read like the glossy photo filled pages of National Geographic, now I can barely manage a life worthy of a National Enquirer tale.