What People Are Saying ...
The Media
"I went through the training and worked as a coach for a year, and I found it a powerful way to help students at all levels discover they had something to say and figure out how to say it. I also used these strategies to help my own teenagers."
"Teachers are outspoken about the project's positive impact on student achievement, and students affirm that coaching helps them master essential literacy skills."
"[WriterCoach Connection] is a brilliant way of providing students with intensive coaching in writing. Every student—this is not a remedial program—receives eight coaching sessions during an academic year. The coaches are trained to help those who are stumped by every assignment, as well as gifted kids who hand in college-level essays... School districts should try to replicate this program. The results are truly impressive. Young people, who think they have nothing to say, discover their voice and learn to persuade with words—a skill they’ll need throughout their lives.”
Students
Before his first session with a coach one Longfellow student asked, “Why does everyone come back smiling from the coaches?” Here’s how students say coaches help to improve writing and thinking skills:
“asking questions about my writing”
“letting me ask questions”
“having me read the paper aloud and showing me what my strong points and weak points are”
“talking out new ideas to develop”
“helping me clarify what I’m trying to say”
“giving me suggestions of words that will express my feelings better”
“offering suggestions in a kind manner, always telling me the truth about how she feels about my writing”
“explaining which parts are (or may be) confusing to younger and/or older readers. They help me by telling me to write and be detailed to reach a broader audience”
“giving me an outsider perspective during the writing process”
“helping me expand on the ideas I already have, not just come up with new ones”
“offering new ways to think about things”
“Coaching raised most of my grades and put me back on the right track.”Philmon, 9th grade“The coaches helped me with my grammar and spelling, and they gave me tips on how to write a good essay. I would like to have them everyday instead of just on Friday. The coaches are really cool and nice.”
Jesse, 9th grade
Teachers
"WCC has been a very positive experience for my students. There is a significant difference between work that is done with the coaches and work that is not. The overall structure and organization of the students' writing is greatly improved."
"Students need individual feedback to refine their writing. What better way to provide that than having coaches work with the students. Kids need that!"
"I often use coaching for the early stages of a writing assignment because I get more work, a higher-quality work, because the coaches help the students focus on their thinking. It is amazing how much gets accomplished in the early stages of the process."
"I’m so happy to finally get a chance to participate in the Writing Coach Connection project. Seeing all of those adults at the front of the class was a powerful experience and a strong message of community support to our children, and to me. We teachers often feel so beleaguered and alone in our efforts, and to see so much help was a moving and emotional experience for me, and I know, for the children. I was able to interview about 10 of them during the course of the day, and all responded joyfully, even ones who give me trouble and are easily discouraged. ‘Helpful,’ ‘very professional,’ ‘good ideas,’ were common remarks. One student said, ‘I thought I was going to get a lot of negative stuff, but my coach liked my piece and made a lot of good suggestions. So whatever you’re doing, keep it coming...’ Please extend my admiration and gratitude to the coaches.”
“Coaching supports classroom instruction, but it is more effective because it is a one-to-one learning experience. Students are supported in the revision process... ALL students now have the support that only some of our students have at home.”
"WriterCoach Connection is a phenomenal resource for our small school; it is an invaluable tool for what I believe is our most important goal--ensuring that our students are prepared for college writing. My ninth graders now ask me, 'Are we going to have writing coaches on this?"
Coaches
"If I ask them to tell me more about it, we often discover a half-formed thought, that, when brought to the surface, transforms their essay into a really perceptive and original piece of work.”
"From week to week a coach must develop gymnastic abilities—stretching here, leaping there—to match the student mind-set and ability level. One week I went from coaching a 9th grade student writing at 5th grade level to a student who was writing a novel in his spare time.”
"As he talked, I wrote down his ideas, asked a few questions, and encouraged him to write [about his family experience]. The coaching conversation helped him to realize that if he could talk about it, he could make it into a story to share.”
"To be able to see kids like these, struggling with their circumstances and using writing to explore their feelings and their options in the world, has been humbling.”
"...Maybe he could tell me about the accident. [He gave] one word answers to every question, but I wrote them all down. As he began to rethink the event, he warmed up a bit. Inch by inch we squeezed the story out of him, and by the end, it was all down on paper in his words. I showed him all the information he had; he could see how he could write the essay.”
"For no reason apparent to me, this suggestion opened the gates ... and the student rewrote his topic sentences with only a little prompting... He left the session with a grin and a thank you that more than suggested he had surprised himself.”
"This is a program that works. It helps give students a sense of mastery and accomplishment.”
“The glint in the eye when you strike a chord is worth it all.”