Teacher Leadership Development

Invitational Summer Institute (ISI)

What is it?

The Invitational Summer Institute (ISI) is at the core of the National Writing Project's model of "teachers teaching teachers."   ISI is an intensive four-week course which provides teachers an opportunity to strengthen and polish good teaching of writing across the curriculum. The development of writing at all grade levels and in the content areas will be examined.
 
Applicants may be pre-school through college teachers and administrators across all subject areas and from various school districts. In a casual, collaborative setting, applicants accepted into the institute, Summer Fellows, will become part of a reading and writing community. Professional books, trade books and journals will be available for inquiry, research and discussion.
 
Summer Fellows will experience and reflect on the literacy processes as they read like writers, write like readers, and create and publish their own writing.
 
At the core of the ISI is the demonstration lesson. Fellows, with much coaching and support, will develop a 90-minute presentation that may be used for site and district level professional development.
 

Those who successfully complete the ISI will earn:

·   The title of Teacher Consultant (TC) and qualification to provide staff development workshops to the region’s schools

·   3 graduate credits from Rider University

·   36 professional development hours

It is expected that Summer Fellows will:

·      Attend every day of the institute and actively participate in reading, writing, discussions and journal groups.

·    Develop and present a demonstration lesson.

·    Attend four follow-up support meetings in the school year following the summer institute attended.

Who Should Apply?
 
Skilled teachers and administrators who:

·      Consider themselves as leaders in research-based best practices in literacy.

·    Desire to deepen their knowledge and understanding of literacy instruction.

·    Are concerned about improving their knowledge of writing and how to teach it.

·    Wish to provide leadership in the improvement of writing instruction.

·    Want to become part of a “teachers teaching teachers” model of professional development. This may take the form of conducting workshops, running a staff meeting, facilitating small group discussions or simply coaching an individual teacher.