by Anna Gratz Cockerille
This week is the August Writing Institute at The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. There, thousands of educators from all over the country and world are learning, thinking, and writing together. There is nothing quite like a TCRWP Institute. Participants immerse themselves in a study of one aspect of literacy instruction. They not only gain invaluable fundamentals and best practices, but—perhaps even more importantly—they become learners. They get to know a subject area inside out because of daily practice and reflection.
If you are at the August Writing Institute this week, you are experiencing:
Don’t be alarmed if you feel a bit overwhelmed. With such a rush of information coming in daily, you aren’t alone if you feel this way. Fortunately, connecting with others who are sharing the experience can help. Tomorrow, TCRWP Lead Staff Developer Rebecca Cronin will lead a Twitter chat on writing workshop essentials as part of the August Writing Institute. You’ll be able to ask and answer questions about logistics, terminology, routines, structures, materials, and more to help solidify and clarify some of the information you are getting this week.
We invite veteran and first time attendees to join the chat, as we hope veteran attendees will share insights and reflections on how to the most out of the wonderful, rigorous, joyful week of learning that is a TCRWP institute.
Each Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. eastern, The Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project hosts a Twitter chat using the hashtag #TCRWP. Join @rebeccacronin2 to chat about the August Writing Institute tomorrow evening.
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Anna Cockerille is a staff developer, literacy coach, and writer based in New York City. She has taught in K–8 classrooms all over the world in places such as Sydney, Australia; San Pedro Sula, Honduras; and Auckland, New Zealand. Anna has been a staff developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University (TCRWP) and an adjunct instructor for the Literacy Specialist Program at Teachers College. She writes at Two Writing Teachers.
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