"If students don't write at least three times a week, they are dead". - Donald Graves
"Real writers are eager for collaboration. They use other people's brains to help them get their writing right". - Mem Fox
"You learn to write by grappling with a real subject that truly matters to you". - Ralph Fletcher
"If students don't write at least three times a week, they are dead". - Donald Graves
How can we help?
Moving into 2025, we are all about investing in people in schools.
Our All About Mentors Series offers courses for teachers new to this approach, an option for individuals keen to learn, and a great way for schools to onboard new staff. We are also offering opportunities for those who lead (or hope to lead) to build confidence and capacity to do this at a school level, with support from us, through our Digging Deeper sessions.
Consulting
We have limited capacity for in-school consulting in 2025. Instead, we invite you to join our Mentor Series and come to us. Invest in people, join and be mentored to then become a mentor in your school.
Professional Learning Courses
All About Writers offers a number of professional development courses to build teacher knowledge and share HOW to implement in your classroom or school.
In 2025, we are providing differentiated learning to meet the needs of the many schools and teachers we have worked with, while still providing opportunities for new partnerships.
All Core PL Courses are TQI approved and look at the aspects of pedagogy that work together in a great writing classroom. Our Digging Deeper series are for those who know the basics (and have likely worked with us before), and are looking to lead in their school settings. The School Level sessions speak to just that - things that need to be considered at a school level. Other courses are crafted to explore certain aspects more deeply, such as the purposes for writing, and are applicable to everyone.
Read more about our Core PL Courses (TQI approved) below.
For other courses, see our Mentor Series page. Access our handy Print and Plan doc to see all courses on a page and plan at a school level.
All About the Writers' Workshop (3 hours)
This is the place to start your learning! A Writers' Worksop offers a predictable routine and contains essential lesson elements to allow a community of writers to flourish. We will unpack all of this, plus the key tools that a workshop provides, including writer's notebooks, writing partners, mentor texts and visual anchors. A key goal for our students is to develop independence as writers, and the workshop is the place to start.
All About the Writing Process (3 hours)
Every writer will tell you that writing is a process, and we will tell you that when we teach the strategies of process, we teach writers. And wow, there is so much to learn! Process supports writers to be ready to write, and to keep on writing. It's central to the workshop, and a vital avenue for teaching craft. It provides a scaffold for student choice and autonomy. This course is all about HOW - the strategies our students need to be writers.
The qualities of great writing, or author's craft, start with great ideas, and end with conventions. Writers know how these elements work together, and understand how they can support meaning, tone and voice. In this course, we unpack these qualities using mentor texts and writing samples, and learn to look at writing through the eyes of a writer. We will also share tools that are available to support teachers and schools to assess and moderate writing.
All About Writers' Craft (3 hours)
All About Writing Conferences (3 hours)
A writing conference is fundamentally a conversation between two writers. But did you know there are different types of conferences, with routines and roles that support both teachers and students? We will look at how to create a climate for conferencing, as a vital first step. We will observe, practice and plan for our own classes and head back to school empowered to succeed.
All About Writing, K_6 (5 hours)
Looking for an overview? This course is a great option. Obviously, it cannot offer the depth of learning found the Four Core Courses, but it does provide a broad overview of this pedagogy and how to get started in your classroom. We will dip into the workshop, process, craft and conferencing in a BIG day of learning. So, what's the issue? You'll want to know more!