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The San José Area Writing Project
OVERVIEW
Led by university faculty co-directors Bronwyn LaMay and Jane Gilmore, a team of teacher consultants who work as associate directors, and student administrative assistants, the San Jose Area Writing Project (SJAWP) delivers school-year and summer programs on writing for teachers as well as for K-12th grade students and their parents.
Working from the belief that when teachers gather to write and learn, expertise arises among them, SJAWP offers a 3-week Invitational Summer Institute (ISI) in July in which teachers participate in demonstrations of promising practices, hone their writing skills, and discuss latest professional books on related topics. Participants in our ISI become teacher consultants (TCs). Teacher consultants are paid to lead professional development and work through SJAWP with schools to improve student writing. By coaching teachers, analyzing student work, and modeling teaching practices, our TCs work hand-in-hand with teachers.
SJAWP teacher consultants also lead the programs for teachers, students and parents; Professional Learning Communities, Teen Writers Institute, Teen Writers Salon, Writing Workshops, Super Saturdays, and more.
OUR STORY
For over three decades, the San Jose Area Writing Project has provided up-to-date training in writing instruction for teachers at all grade levels: kindergarten to college. Our goal is to improve the competence and confidence of all students in their writing ability. Competent writing is critical in research, business, public media, and the academic disciplines, and improved writing abilities have long-lasting, personal value that enhances one’s creativity and acuity of expression for writing in professional contexts.
The expectations for academic writing, the demands for business writing, and the volume of real world writing on the internet has increased the need for skillful, clear, writing instruction. Rather than limiting ourselves to such circumscribed goals such as preparing students for writing their college admission essays, the San Jose Area Writing Project believes that improved writing ability is the key to continuing the thoughtful dialogue that sustains a democratic society.