A Tool for All Teachers to Excel at Teaching Writing

In the sunny Bay of Plenty, Whakatāne High School started their Writer’s Toolbox journey with a pilot group.  After implementing Writer's Toolbox, students in the trial who had been falling through the cracks with writing were now able to achieve at the highest level. 

It was an easy decision for Principal Martyn Knapton to invest in Writer's Toobox for the whole school.

Knapton believes that to increase student literacy all teachers need to feel confident teaching writing, no matter the subject.  This is challenging for teachers who may not think of themselves as ‘writing’ teachers and are unsure how to prepare students for writing success.  Through a series of professional development sessions, Writer’s Toolbox was able to help implement a whole-school approach that gave teachers the confidence and tools they needed to teach writing well.  

“Every teacher is trying to find the magic bullet,”  Knapton explains.  “Writer’s Toolbox gives them a framework to use that cuts straight to the practices that work—that accelerate students.”