Writing Traits Masterclass Series
Learn about the key qualities of effective writing
"I often found it difficult to give students specific feedback on their writing when there were so many things that needed 'fixing'. Narrowing that focus down to using a particular 'lens' (trait) has helped immensely."
Do any of these sound familiar?
- Your data shows you're not getting growth in your writers over time.
- You struggle to identify the strengths in your students' writing.
- You find it hard to pinpoint exactly what your students need to work on to improve their writing.
- You find it hard to give feedback on anything other than structure, spelling, punctuation and/or grammar.
- You wonder if there's more to teaching writing than just teaching structure.
- You're not sure how to get the most out of mentor texts in the writing classroom.
If so, the Writing Traits Masterclass Series is just for you!
Learn the qualities of good writing
Go beyond basic definitions of each of the 6+1 writing traits. Slow down and spend a whole hour learning about one trait at time.
Learn how to use mentor texts to teach writing
Learn how rich mentor texts are pulled apart to be used with students. Learn how to reuse the same text for different teaching points.
Learn how to identify the strengths and weaknesses in student writing
Build your knowledge of all the things you can look for and give feedback on in student writing.
WHY THIS COURSE?
When I first learned about the 6+1 traits of writing it was like being told all the secrets of the writing world. I finally had a language to explain why one piece of writing was better than another (hint: it's so much more than correct structure!). I became confident in diagnosing my students' needs and planning minilessons to target these needs. It totally transformed how I taught writing.
Realizing how much of a difference the traits made to my students' writing -as well as their engagement- I wanted to let everyone else in on the secret.
Prior to creating this course, I'd facilitated professional learning that tried to build teacher knowledge across every trait in one day (hello whole school curriculum days!) I quickly realized that these one-day introductions just weren't going deep enough. Teachers often left with sore heads and the information overload rarely lead to sustained changes in teacher practice.
I genuinely want teachers to implement more effective writing instruction, so I set about creating a course that did justice to each of the traits. One that would leave teachers feeling truly confident to know:
- what each trait really was,
- what it looked like in mentor texts and
- what it looked like in student writing.
Following my favourite mantra of 'do less and do it well' I designed this course in a way that allows teachers to go deep on just one trait at a time.
What this means is that you can take the time to get your head around what each trait is and trial some of the teaching suggestions for that trait, before you decide to start learning about the next one.
It's a slow and steady drip-feed of content and support over time- just like the research on effective professional learning says it needs to be!
The content is divided up into six 1-hour modules, each made up of a series of short video minilessons. (Which makes it perfect for teams of teachers and whole school groups).
I've had hundreds of teachers and whole schools participate in this course and I'm so proud of the feedback and impact it has had.
This course works!
I can't wait to share the learning with you.
-Riss
6-hours of professional development that you can access anywhere, any time, from any device.
You'll have access to the course for 12 months from the date of purchase, so you can revisit the videos and resources as many times as you like in that time.
The course is accessible via desktop or laptop and even through the Kajabi app on your tablet or phone. (Which means you can learn all about effective sentence structure and word choice while you're out walking your dog!)
The results speak for themselves
I know this course works! But don't just take my word for it- there are so many stories of change and success as a result of teacher participation in this course.
Ashleigh (Year 3 teacher)
I now get genuinely excited about teaching writing. Now that I know what to look for, I can actually give useful feedback to my students. It has changed my teaching completely.
Melissa (Year 5 teacher)
I started at a school 3 years ago where they were using the 6+1 writing traits model. It has taken that long time for me to finally find some Professional Development that actually explains how to effectively use the Traits to improve student writing, so thank you.
Bec (Literacy Leader)
Staff have loved it! It's wonderful that it's in small parts and over 12 months. This has allowed us to focus on one trait at a time as a school and have time to implement some teaching strategies around each one.
All the details:
What: 6-hours of self-paced pre-recorded video lessons. The course is divided into 6 modules. Each module is approximately 1-hour long. (Perfect for PLCs)
When: You'll get access to all modules as soon as you sign up. You'll have access to the course for 12 months from the date of purchase.
Price: $180USD per person. If you'd like to enquire about large group discounts, please email [email protected].
Who: This course is suitable for pre-service, graduate and experienced teachers.
Other: 5% of all profits from Oz Lit Teacher courses go to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Is writing a whole school priority for your school?
We love it when leadership teams purchase the Traits Masterclass Series for their whole staff because we know it leads to whole school improvements in student writing. The course is designed to be delivered via a drip-feed of learning and support- just like the research says it needs to be.
We've had loads of schools use our course to support their staff with a flexible drip-feed of learning and support across a year. You can choose to watch the modules together as a whole staff, in small groups or even individually.
We have generous whole-school discounts available. Email [email protected] to get a quote.
Here's what schools are saying about having whole school access to the Writing Traits Masterclass:
Cowes Primary School
The self paced pre-recorded masterclass series was very supportive of our leadership team managing professional learning along with the other constraints a leadership and teaching position can bring. Narissa's presentation capabilities supported this as she was interactive despite the pre recording and we were able to revisit sections during our discussions if required.
St Benedict's Catholic School
The Traits Masterclass has been a resource within a 'Writing Project' within our school. It has been great professional learning to help teachers understand the traits. We love that it's online and self-paced. It's been a great resource to go with the 6+1 Traits book.
Westgrove Primary School
We love the 1 hour modules. We allocate time for PLC bands to meet to go through modules together. But we also love that staff can front load for upcoming modules or revisit as needed. We love that you can access the modules for the year and pace the learning to ensure staff aren’t overloaded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay for this course via a school invoice?
When does this course open?
What time are the workshops?
How long will I have access to the course?
Are there discounts available for large group / whole school purchases?
I've read all the traits books- is this content any different?
I'm a secondary teacher, would this course be suitable for me?
I'm not from Australia, can I pay in another currency?
Where can I access the T's & C's of the course?
Keen to get started?
Yes, I want to start learning how to improve my students' writing today. I'm keen to learn more about how to get the most out of mentor texts and I want to be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses in my students' writing.
Click here to sign up