If you teach now, you'll be able to incorporate new strategies and practices to help improve your students' writing. You may be able to use the Specialization courses for professional development credit at your school. You may also become a teacher leader who can share what you have learned about teaching writing with your colleagues. If you're hoping to teach in the future, you will bring an impressive understanding of the theories and practices behind teaching writing to any job interview, along with the confidence that comes with entering your classroom with a full toolbox of ways to teach writing.

            Absolutely. You don’t need teaching experience to do everything asked, and to benefit from these courses. We’ll provide options such as “what do you do (in a particular situation), or what would you do once you begin teaching?” Even if you’re not a teacher yet, we ask you only to begin to think like a teacher. If you have some idea of what grade level or subject you’d like to teach in the future, so much the better, but even that isn’t necessary.

Yes. Everything in these courses is geared toward providing the flexibility for you to adapt the learning to your own personal situation. For example, we might talk about the value of and best practices for using a mentor text with your students. The core principles taught will be the same for everyone, but clearly, the mentor text a fourth-grade teacher chooses will be different from one a twelfth-grade teacher chooses, and different as well from what someone teaching in a private setting might select.

Definitely. All you need is the desire to use writing in your classes, regardless of the discipline you teach. It’s especially exciting – and rewarding for their students – when non-English or Language Arts teachers bring writing into their content areas. In these courses, you’ll learn techniques and practices to add to your already existing toolbox, and you might discover some new ideas as well. The key is in staying on the lookout for ways to adapt what you’re learning to your own specific discipline and situation.

There will be a fair amount of writing in each of these courses, via Discussion prompts and Peer Review assignments. However, you’ll be given clear instructions for all the writing you’re asked to do, and we’ll start small, with non-stressful, low-risk writings to help you grow more comfortable with writing. You might even find some of the techniques covered in the Specialization’s second course, “Teaching Reluctant Writers,” will work for you as well. Even if a particular writing seems to ask you to step outside your comfort zone, use it as a learning experience, a way to put yourself in your students’ shoes when they are given a writing assignment that challenges them as well. You can learn a lot about teaching writing from exploring your own writing. You don’t have to want to be a professional writer; you just have to be willing to give everything a try.

            I believe it will. While you may be familiar with many of the concepts taught in these courses, you’ll likely add new tools to your toolbox and perhaps gain a new perspective on some of those familiar practices. Each course contains additional readings for those who want to go a bit beyond the required course material, and the flexibility we emphasize in our courses should allow you to focus on those theories and practices that will be most valuable for you. There’s no doubt you’ll have a lot to offer your fellow learners, and you might feel a renewed energy from being among an enthusiastic learning community.

This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.