Founded in 2009, the National Writing Project UK aims to deepen understanding about what writing is, what it can do for teachers, and how the process of writing can be more meaningfully managed in schools. It is a not-for-profit co-operative, a network of teacher’s writing groups run by teachers for teachers, and a research project that aims to explore writing and find out further answers to the question, ‘What happens when teachers gather together to write and share their writing?’
Each meeting of a writing group gives teachers a chance to share ideas, resources and approaches to teaching creative writing, with members leaving each session with something new to try with their classes. In addition, the National Writing Project UK reports attending a writing group boosts confidence both in teaching writing and in teachers writing for themselves.
Currently there are twenty-one NWP UK writing groups meeting regularly in England. In October, for the first time, a Scottish branch of the Project will launch in Scotland.
On Wednesday October 11th, a Glasgow branch of the NWP will hold their launch event at Springburn Academy in Glasgow. Simon Wrigley, co-founder of the NWP UK, will be in attendance. He will give a brief introduction to the NWP and the research it carries out, before leading us in a session of prompted writing. We will end with a discussion of strategies for encouraging creative writing in the classroom.
All teachers of writing - primary, secondary and tertiary – are warmly invited to attend. Below is an outline of the launch event. If you are a keen writer or a nervous writer, a teacher of writing and think joining the Glasgow NWP writing group might be for you, please come along! All welcome.
Any questions or queries, or to let us know that you intend to come, please get in touch with Lisa Hamilton, English Teacher at Springburn Academy on;
gw17hamiltonlisa@glow.ea.glasgow.sch.uk
Or connect with Lisa on Twitter @MissHamiltonEng
National Writing Project – Glasgow Branch Launch event
Wednesday 11th October, 4pm.
4:00 Welcome and Introductions; NWP – the evolution of this teacher-led, research project – the evidence so far – experiential learning of writing for UK teachers interested in
- exploring their own process – half-termly opportunities to write in a trusted group,
- reflecting on the changing nature of writing and learning,
- networking with other NWP groups, and collecting evidence of the effect of teacher-owned CPD on well-being, agency and pedagogy
4:10 Sampling common NWP practices: quick writing exercises including free-writing or ‘automatic writing’
4:30 More sustained writing practice
4:45 Listening and responding to others’ writing, sharing your own writing, discussing how to develop meaningful/ discovery writing across the curriculum: –
- free-writing,
- writing alongside pupils,
- initiating, developing and sustaining writing journals and writing groups
5:00 Questions, further discussion and future dates and venues of Glasgow NWP
5:15 Finish
NATE (Scotland) blog 