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Odd way to start, but it was a teaching colleague in the San Diego Area Writing Project who recommended I answer the call for an ELA teacher at the school where he taught. I got the job and remained there for eighteen years. It was a teaching colleague from this same Project who suggested I publish, as a children's book, one of the poems written during that summer institute. She funded the project so I could hire an illustrator. It was the theory of Writing to Learn that I learned during this same institute that inspired me to conduct research for a Master's Degree about writing to learn in Math. The university accepted the proposal and eventually conferred the degree based on the written thesis that included a booklet for teachers in math to learn why and how WTL is a valuable tool for teaching in their content area. And, after some two decades, that booklet is the source I'm using with a new math teacher who has been struggling to identify the reasons so many students at her school are having to repeat math classes in order to graduate. As she learns the theory and implements the strategies, she is finding success and less stress for herself and her students. And, based on what I learned about writing as a discipline for articulating personal and professional experiences, I call on NWP fellows who continue to support my writing by contributing to the eight textbooks I've had the privilege of having published by Rowman and Littlefield. In other words, the community of professionals spurs and nurtures one another.

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I was in a building that was not collaborative, and I was desperate for connection. I helped start the Boise State Writing Project and my career was transformed. I continued to co-direct, set up and deliver professional development, and assist with ISIs. Later, the state department saw the transformative work we were doing, and I was asked to create it with my amazing Writing Project colleague Rachel Bear. While I declined, the Idaho Coaching Network was born, and more teachers were impacted directly by Writing Project work. I was mentored by Jeff Wilhelm and Jim Fredricksen, which led to publishing opportunities where I could share the writing instruction I was doing in my classroom. I recently finished my doctorate and two of our project directors—Jim Fredricksen and Amber Warrington were on my committee.

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NCTE has been an anchor for me throughout my career in education. But I never would have even heard of NCTE had it not been for the National Writing Project. I first learned about NCTE and got the inspiration to attend my first Convention during my time at the Central Arizona Writing Project's summer institute. It was also at this summer institute that I first met two of the members of my dissertation committee. Actually, now that I think about it, the third member of my committee presented to that summer institute group, so I guess I owe the entirety of my PhD to the connections I made through the Central Arizona Writing Project. Even as I've moved across the country, the writing project still connects me to new colleagues. My first day of my current job in Savannah, I attended a workshop facilitated by members of the Red Clay Writing Project. I write this having just returned from the 2024 GCTE conference, where I attended sessions with members of the Deep Writing Project. Having been through a writing project summer institute is an experience that connects teachers across geographic and age/experience differences. If I introduce myself as Dr. Shawn Towner, PhD, nobody cares. But if I introduce myself as Shawn Towner, CAWP 2012, I'm certain to make new connections with fellow writing project veterans.

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My NWP colleagues have built both my theoretical and practical understanding of writing. But more importantly, they have helped me discover and claim my own identity as a writer and thinker.

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NWP is you, me, and the we. From the moment I entered the profession, mentors I looked up to said, "You need to do the NWP summer institute." I did mine in Louisville and the rest is history. I was part of LWP XXI (and legally writing). Interestingly, that was 21 years ago. Every item sketched, doodled, written that summer was a seed planted for my entire career. The 10-minute play festival we began at our school (and then transferred to two other states), the argumentative writing workshops I created for my district, the ongoing support of working and writing with refugee communities, and my interest in working with digital tools began as a prompt offered by a fellow teacher. Teachers teaching teachers - it makes total sense. I soon realized that NWP is a way of being. It's the way I think. It's how I operate. I took my Louisville experiences and completed a doctorate at Syracuse University with a single mission - to one day host a National Writing Project of my own so I could invest in fellow educators. Currently, I direct the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University where our programs serve 1,000s of young people and 100s of teachers each year. NWP is about human togetherness and I learned with them that no writer can be a writer unless they're in a community of fellow writers. We can never emphasize community enough. In order for any individual to achieve their purposes they need to belong in a community of others. I am forever thankful to the investments the NWP network made into my career. It has been the magic that has fueled my career and made me who I am.

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After my first year of teaching my principal asked me to take five weeks of my summer vacation to attend the IWP Summer Institute, and I have never looked back. From the institute leaders to my cohort companions, I have developed friends and a support system for developing authentic student voice in the classroom and beyond. As a teacher consultant I have spoken at multiple seminars and workshops ranging from using daily student logs in the classroom to leading writing clubs in three different high schools in two different states. Always knowing that I have a network of like-minded, writing-focused practitioners to turn to has provided the fuel to stay motivated to always teach and develop the writer, not the piece of writing. Whether the state is or isn’t focused on writing outcomes on the high-stakes tests, this network of writers and professional teachers has understood the critical aspect of writing that we must always be striving for in ourselves and our students. I am attempting to pay it forward by offering student and adult writing programs focused on the NWP beliefs and principles, and I have a whole national network of teaching colleagues as backup and to give me expert advice through this endeavor. I call this “living the writing life,” and am able to help others in my current school understand how writing can be a therapeutic way of life because I feel supported by this professional network.

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I developed a network of teaching colleagues who support the discipline of writing by participating in Pathways Project, which was affiliated with the National Writing Project. I collaborated with other English teachers both within my school district and within other districts in Arizona. We were part of a national group of teachers who participated in professional development trainings to improve our teaching of writing instruction in the classroom. Participating in this program allowed me to network and collaborate with other English teachers, and I learned strategies for teaching writing within my classroom. Participating in this project bolstered my teaching of writing and strengthened my communication skills with other English teachers.

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Time and time again, my involvement shows me I am not alone. When we are feeling professional frustrations, they can often feel unique to us and isolate us; however, a network opens spaces for conversations where we discover others are facing the same struggles. Identifying that helps move us toward solutions, even if it is just within a smaller professional learning network. It keeps me vitalized professional and sustains my professional motivation.

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Before attending my first Summer Institute with the National Writing Project, I harbored a misconception that teachers were generally mean, angry, and unhelpful. However, participating in the Summer Institute changed this perspective significantly. It provided me with ample opportunity to interact with fellow educators, which helped me understand that my initial impression was not about their true nature, but rather stemmed from my struggle in transitioning from a college student to a practicing teacher. The experience at the Institute was transformative; without it, I might have abandoned my teaching career, carrying with me a host of negative and unfounded beliefs about teachers and students.

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As a new site director for the Appalachian Mountains Writing Project, I worried that I was in way over my head. However, Connect the Network meetings and correspondence with other WP sites in North Carolina assuaged my fears. Everyone has been incredibly supportive and willing to help. I have never had a question go unanswered.