Maryland Writing Project courses are taught by teams of Teacher-Consultants, teachers selected for their expertise and trained in an intensive five-week summer institute. Teacher-Consultants present practical strategies, teacher-to-teacher, with a strong theoretical base. Presentations and courses are designed for and evaluated by teachers.

Because instructional teams are composed of classroom teachers, they offer practical, workable methods for improving student writing. Because instructional teams draw teachers from many contexts, levels, and student populations, they offer a range of expertise. In each course, teachers have opportunities to study practice, implement new strategies, work and reflect on their own writing, and study theory and research in writing.

• Anyone may engage the MWP for in-service work schools, districts, individuals, parents, community groups. Contact Katie Hearn, Co-Director, at the MWP office at Towson University
• Phone: 410-704-3593
• e-mail: chearn@towson.edu
• FAX: 410-704-2733

• MWP staff will select a coordinator for the in-service course, the person responsible for the planning and operation of all sessions. The coordinator and the MWP staff member will meet with your school's administrators and teachers to plan the course.
• The MWP coordinator will contact the instructional team and make specific plans for the course, in conjunction with a local arrangements person at your school.
• The in-service takes place and is evaluated.

• The focus and scope of in-services depend on your needs. However, we have developed in-services with the following content emphases:
• Writing in the content areas
• Performance-based instruction and assessment year-round
• Writers’/readers’ workshop
• Portfolios
• The writing process
• Reading-writing connection

The MWP will work with you to design an in-service in a variety of formats. Some in-service programs are designed to meet MSDE or graduate credit requirements. In-service costs are based on the depth and breadth of the workshops.

• In-service courses are more successful when conducted with voluntary audiences.
• Teachers from the school should be involved in planning the in-service as well as administrators.
• Teams/pairs of teachers from a school can attend as coaches for each other in their classrooms.
• We invite and encourage individual schools and systems to join together in sponsoring an in-service.
• We welcome your calls and questions.