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Creative Coaching writer residencies

• Creative Coaching blog
• Digistore hosts a digital record of Des Hunt visiting Opotiki College and Waiotahe Valley School, and Gavin Bishop visiting St Peter Chanel and Parklands Schools in Motueka
• Further information for schools interested in applying
• Application form for rural schools (schools unlikely to have a writer nearby)
• Application form for local schools (schools in major cities)

What is it all about?

Imagine how your young creative writers might benefit from intensive mentoring from one of New Zealand’s top writers.

The New Zealand Book Council has added a fantastic new satellite to their successful Writers in Schools programmes, called Creative Coaching writer residencies. This programme was developed in response to a 2008 survey of English teachers, which indicated an appetite for deeper learning opportunities for students in the form of extended residencies. The development and pilot period for Creative Coaching writer residencies was funded by the Ministry of Education from Term 3 2010 – Term 2 2011.

Creative Coaching targets schools who wish to complete a literacy project with the help of a writer. With writers in schools for longer, students can get a deeper understanding of the writing process, while teachers have the opportunity to learn more about the writers’ approach to writing and reading. This can act as a form of professional development, helping them to further their own skills and knowledge when teaching these essential building blocks to their students.

There are two types of residencies, a 'local residency', suited to schools with a writer nearby, offering a writer visit six times over a term; and a 'rural residency', suited to schools outside the main centres, offering a writer in the region for two weeks, and providing 3-4 longer working periods with the writer, along with follow-up periods by Skype.

During our pilot period, schools in Northland, Auckland, Motueka, Christchurch, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Taumarunui and the Eastern Bay of Plenty all benefitted from hosting writers for a longer period. To view the process of these residencies, and get a sense of what was achieved, please go to the Creative Coaching blog. You can hear from the teachers and authors involved in four of the residencies at digistore, thanks to CORE Education Ltd who created these invaluable resources.

We are now accepting applications from all schools for this programme, with the understanding we will work with these schools to find suitable funding sources. We are also trying to identify private companies that may be interested in funding this programme on a long-term basis. If you are associated with somebody who you think may be able to help, please let us know on the details below.

If you are interested in the programme, but want some more details, or to talk to a teacher who has worked with a writer in this programme, please contact Education Manager Sarah Forster at education@bookcouncil.org.nz.