I was a fellow of the Maine Writing Project last summer in Orono, Maine.  Whenever I describe this program  I always say how unique it is, in my experience, to be treated with such respect as a teacher/professional in the context of professional development.  It seems that that should be the norm, but it is not.  As teachers, we become used to being taken for granted and it is delightful to be treated as if we are responsible professionals.  I also always mention that the Writing Project is for teachers and deals with the teaching of writing, but that it is a core belief of the project that people who teach writing should not only discuss teaching techniques but THEY SHOULD WRITE.  Again, this seems too obvious and simple to be notable, but unfortunately it is unusual.

As part of the program, I read the memoir ,Teachers at the Center, about the early years of the Writing Project. I now realize that  the elegant simplicity of the Writing Project's core belief that teachers have skills and knowledge to share with other teachers and the efforts to maintain that focus in the many years since the founding of the National Writing Project network has been the foundation of this unique
project.

While I had an active and involved semester of teaching high school English last spring, the school where I teach was labeled a “persistently failing school” based solely on our SAT scores, which meant that a great deal of time was devoted to responding to this label.  I did not realize how wearing and debilitating the process was until the year ended and I began my participation in the Maine Writing Project.

The experience re-energized me and validated my classroom experiences writing with students.
 I had no idea how much I needed to become a part of this inspiring group of educators.  All of my work this year with my students and in the graduate writing course that I am currently taking online has been impacted by my experiences at the Summer Institute.  I know that my teaching and my writing have grown as a result of my involvement in the writing project, and that I continue to rely on my Writing Project cohort, not only for information and support but also for relationships with other teachers who understand the value of writing. I feel privileged to be a member of the Maine Writing Project and hope that the National Writing Project will continue for many years in to the future.

Sincerely,

Lee G. Lehto
English & Creative Writing teacher
Deer Isle Stoninton High School
Deer Isle, Maine