Participants in this year’s inaugural Chippewa River Writing Project Summer Institute found over their four weeks together the time, energy, and support that they needed as writers and teachers of writing.
One anonymous evaluation comment summarized the feelings of many in stating, “After this summer, I feel so much more prepared to teach writing in my classroom. I have also vowed to write with my students and to take the time each day to write for myself.”
Each day, participants in the institute gathered to write for themselves and engage in activities related to the teaching of writing. At the end of the institute, each participant produced a portfolio of personal and professional writing, many of which can be found as links to their digital portfolios on the CRWP wiki.
At the end of the institute, Kathy Kurtze, an English teacher at Carson City Crystal High School, was announced as CRWP’s second K-12 co-director. From the CHSBS News site, she states:
“This has awakened a new need for me to know my writing and make changes,” said Kathy Kurtze of Carson City who has been teaching at Carson City-Crystal Middle School for 29 years. “From being students again, we all seem to have a renewed empathy toward our own students.”
Participants who completed the summer institute and are now teacher consultants affiliated with CRWP include:
- Alicia Ciaramitaro, Collins Elementary, Houghton Lake Community Schools
- Lucia Elden, Mid Michigan Community College
- Louis “Bud” Kanyo, Mid Michigan Community College
- Megan Kowalski, Central Michigan University
- Kathy Kurtze, Carson City-Crystal High School
- Rita Maddox, Retired from Gratiot-Isabella RESD
- Gretchen Martin, Farwell Elementary School
- Deborah Meister, Fellowship Baptist Academy in Carson City
- Elizabeth Nelson, Greenville High School
- Ashley Patton, North Elementary, Ithaca Public Schools
- Shannon Powell, Central Montcalm Middle School
- Amanda Smoker, Meridian Junior High School
- Chanda Wekwert, Hillman Jr. and Sr. High School
CRWP events will continue this fall for both teacher consultants from this summer’s institute and other local educators. Plans for professional development events are underway and the CRWP leadership team will attend the National Writing Project’s Annual Meeting this November in Philadelphia.
It was an amazing summer! I feel so honored to be a part of this fantastic voyage.