National Writing Project

Professional Writing Retreats Resources

Featured Resources

NWP Professional Writing Retreat Handbook

May 2007
Tom Fox, Kathleen O'Shaughnessy, Joe Check, Carol Tateishi
This Handbook offers advice about planning, funding, and conducting a retreat and provides tools and resources to help sites design local retreats. Learn more about NWP's Professional Writing Retreats. More ›

Annotated Bibliography for NWP Professional Writing Retreats

July 2010
John Pennisi
The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to showcase pieces of writing that were developed at the NWP Professional Writing Retreats. From pieces on teacher practice to books about the teaching of writing, this bibliography has something of interest for every teacher. The range of genres highlights the kind of writing that's supported at the Professional Writing Retreats each summer. More ›

Why Retreat? Nurturing Teacher Confidence, Creativity, and Camaraderie

May 2012
Kristy Lauricella Dawson
Kristy Lauricella Dawson, a teacher-consultant of the National Writing Project at Rutgers University, writes about the importance of nurturing teacher creativity through writing retreats. Writing retreats provide an opportunity for teachers to recharge their emotional batteries, and as a result it can lead to better classroom instruction. More ›

 

Additional Resources

A Professional Writing Retreat for Teachers as Writers: The Minnesota Experiment

April 2010
John Albright
When John Albright of the Minnesota Writing Project organized his site's first Professional Writing Retreat, he and his colleagues faced some unexpected challenges, but gained valuable insights in the process of overcoming them. More ›

Pre-Retreat Coaching Leads to a More Successful Writing Retreat

May 2009
Rebeca García-González
Pre-retreat coaching prepares writing retreat participants to be ready to dive into their drafts at writing retreats—and aids facilitators to work more effectively with writers. More ›

Such Stuff as Writing Dreams Are Made Of: Technology in the Writing Retreat

March 2009
Michelle Rogge Gannon
Technology can change the nature of a writing retreat, whether through the way pieces are composed, how they're shared, or how they're responded to. It can also be the subject of the writing itself. Here are some tips that came out of NWP's Writing and Technology: A Professional Writing Retreat. More ›

Designing a Writing Retreat and Building Site Leadership on a Small Budget

December 2008
Nancy Mellin McCracken, Barbara Smith
Leaders at NWP at Kent State University strove to bring NWP's professional writing retreat experience to their local site on a limited budget. Here are a few things they learned. More ›

Teachers Writing for Publication: Tips from a Teacher, Author, and Editor

April 2008
Louann Reid
The former editor of NCTE's English Journal provides tips for writing professional articles, a list of appropriate journals accepting professional writing, examples of "calls for manuscripts," and an inside look at the manuscript review process. More ›

Professional Writing at the Core of Oklahoma State University Writing Project

March 2008
OSUWP's professional writing retreats transform teachers into competent writers of professional articles. More ›

National Writing Retreats Inspire Local Retreats

July 2007
Not everyone can attend one of NWP's annual professional writing retreats, but local sites can offer their own. Drawing on the NWP model, the Hudson Valley Writing Project organized a professional writing retreat for local area teacher-consultants that was so successful it became a springboard for further workshops. More ›

Tips for Publishing: Bringing Classroom Practices, Reflections, and Research to Print

July 2004
Ann Dobie
The Teacher Inquiry Communities (TIC) Network offers tips to help teachers develop and submit materials for publishing: developing articles, preparing your manuscript, writing a query letter, contacting different types of publications, and more. More ›

A Learning Process That Never Ends

December 2004
Kristi Piper
A teacher-consultant shares her experience at a professional writing retreat, where she is amazed to realize she is still doing things in her classroom that do not fit with her core philosophy. More ›

New Direction for NWP Writing Retreats in 2004

The Voice, 2004
This year, NWP is initiating Professional Writing Retreat B, "Editing and Publication," for writers who have a completed draft. More ›

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