Dear Editor,

            Students today need to know how to write well.  In a text-heavy environment with e-mail, instant messaging, and the ability to publish almost instantly, people must have the skills to write well to convey meaning to others.  Many students attending public schools graduate with solid writing skills, but some, including Special Education students, do not.  As a high school Special Education teacher, my task is a difficult one- not only overcome their initial fears of writing and/or failing, but also give these struggling students the writing skills they need for success after high school.

            The Oregon Writing Project (the local version of the National Writing Project) has proven to be a wonderful resource for me as a teacher to help these students learn.  The dynamic nature of the best-practices lessons presented translates well to the Special Education classroom.  Both times I have taken the Oregon Writing Project class, I have renewed my teaching energy and left with a thick notebook of quality ideas to put to use in my curriculum.  I have also met and befriended many other dedicated teaching professionals with whom I can continue to exchange ideas.  This project definitely fosters a sense of community among teachers.

            Some of the ideas I plan to incorporate this next year in my classroom include making a news magazine and rewriting stories from different points of view.  I also have wonderful resources for writing essays, creating original narrative and expository writing, as well as books, videos, handouts, and editing strategies.

            My first few years of teaching were stressful because time was short, the inherited (or created) materials and lessons were not always the greatest, and unfortunately, the student engagement was often low.  Low student engagement produced behavior problems, which, in turn, produced more stress.  As a result of experience and participation in the Oregon Writing Project, I now employ stronger lessons and activities in my classroom.  My students are showing increased learning gains and fewer behavior issues, and my stress level is back in the manageable range.  As I get new, productive, research-based, and exciting lessons, I replace old ones that did not adequately promote student engagement.  I enjoy the challenge of revamping my curriculum and trying new things each year.

            As a taxpayer, I am extremely pleased that my tax dollars support federal projects like the National Writing Project) which encourage and train our nation’s teachers.  Those teachers’ excellence in the classroom has a direct impact on the students and ultimately their decisions to be lifelong learners, not just good writers.

Sincerely,
Stacey Whaley
Springfield High School