For the past ten years, the Central West Virginia Writing Project at Marshall University has been hosting its annual writing conference for educators. While many sessions will be geared toward elementary and Secondary English Language Arts as well as special education, we have always welcomed all educators to attend. The theme for this year’s writing conference is “Writing into Wellness and Wholeness.” Now more than ever, we need to address the social and emotional wellbeing of our students, many of whom are overwhelmed by the dramatically changed world in which we live. Teachers, as well, feel overwhelmed by these changes and the desire to help their students, but many are unsure where and how to start.
Teachers are not counselors—and it would be impossible to replace them in our schools—but we also recognize that teachers serve on the front lines. That’s why we are offering a professional development opportunity with tangible and practical strategies that they can implement in their instruction immediately to help the surge of struggling students. The CWVWP’s goal is to address some of these concerns with the “Writing into Wellness and Wholeness” conference. We recognize that writing is a reflective and restorative act that can unify and strengthen communities. This conference is a unique opportunity for teachers to come together, share, and learn how writing can be a powerful tool for transforming lives and igniting change in communities.
We look forward to learning with you at our virtual conference the weekend of March 25th- 27th, 2022!