Introducing a new writing process to your school or school district can be a huge undertaking—a significant change in the way your students will learn a critical skill. This isn’t possible without your teachers’ support; therefore, make your teachers’ first impression of Structure and Style® a positive one. Why does this matter? According to Todd Whitaker, a national authority on school leadership and teacher effectiveness, the first exposure to any new idea or program will launch its success or doom it to failure (21). IEW’s live, on-site Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) seminar is a powerful way to give your teachers a strong first exposure to the Structure and Style method.
What does the live seminar cover?
A two-day workshop for the sequential development of writing skills, the on-site Teaching Writing: Structure and Style presents nine structural models and twenty-eight stylistic techniques. Participants will have a hands-on experience that directly supports writing across the curriculum.
How does it work?
School administrators interested in professional development for their teachers should contact their IEW Educational Consultant (EC). The EC will connect you to IEW’s Implementation Coach, who will work with you to plan the logistics and customize an approach that matches your school’s goals and your teachers’ and students’ needs. Following the training, he will check in with you by phone or Zoom to see how things are going and to discuss the next steps to support your teachers as they begin to use Structure and Style in their classrooms.
What are the benefits of live training?
- The Implementation Coach is a Master IEW Instructor, authorized by Andrew Pudewa to teach the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style seminar.
- The training is interactive with time provided throughout the seminar for questions, discussion, and clarification. This results in a more active and engaging experience for teachers and administrators and builds a close working relationship between the IEW Implementation Coach and the school.
- Live training reinforces your teachers’ fidelity to the Structure and Style method. Our Implementation Coach explicitly demonstrates each structural model and stylistic technique and leads participants through the practicum assignments.
- Live training strengthens the vertical alignment between grade levels in your school. Teachers in every grade level contribute to and foster students’ growth along the pathway to excellent writing year after year.
What are the challenges to consider?
- Live professional development may be too expensive for those with a limited budget for training. However, private schools, charter schools, and small school districts may be able to access funding through their local school district or county office of education or seek grant money for professional development.
- The two-day seminar covers a lot of information. However, the training materials include an activation card for Forever Streaming videos of the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style seminar, which allows every teacher access to any portion of the seminar they would like to review.
- There may not be enough time to complete all the seminar’s practicum assignments because of time constraints. The Implementation Coach will make suggestions for completing the assignments independently.
Once the live training is complete, administrators and school mentors—previously trained teachers with experience teaching the method—should guide and support teachers as they implement Structure and Style. By choosing live on-site training, your Implementation Coach and Educational Consultant are your partners in these efforts, walking alongside you via email, phone, or Zoom as you implement IEW curriculum in your classrooms.
This powerful and inspiring seminar will transform the way you teach writing to students (and perhaps your own writing as well)! You'll learn how to incrementally teach students to write with clear structure and compelling style. Begin with the basics—key word outlines and then rewriting a paragraph—and continue all the way into research and essay writing. Learn how to nurture excellence in writing and thinking in students of any age. As an added benefit, teachers and administrators who complete the TWSS on-site live professional development or virtual workshop will receive a $75 coupon code to apply toward the IEW Accreditation Program.
No matter which teacher training option you choose, IEW’s Schools Department team is ready to help and support you. For more information about live professional development, contact your Educational Consultant directly or email Schools@IEW.com for assistance.
by Jean Nichols
Work Cited
Whitaker, Todd. Leading School Change: 9 Strategies to Bring Everybody on Board. Eye on Education, 2010.
Explore other blogs in the Teacher Training Method Options series.
- Video Training through Individual Streaming
- Video Training as a Group
- Virtual Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Workshop
Originally posted on 6/20/2022
