Teaching Writing Without a Script: Building Community, Belonging, and Positive Student Writer Identities, November 9, 2026

Teaching Writing Without a Script: Building Community, Belonging, and Positive Student Writer Identities

Date: November 9, 2026

Register for all 4 workshops and save!  See separate link to register for all workshops at a reduced rate of $500.

Schedule: Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude by 3:00 p.m.

Location: River's Crossing, 850 College Station Rd, Athens, GA 30602

Cost: $160

Description: This fun and engaging writing workshop is for K-8 teachers, administrators, curriculum directors, literacy coaches, and anyone interested in how to teach writing to children and youth in a way that is empowering, creative, fun, and effective. With many districts moving away from “Units of Study” models of teaching writing and also thinking more deeply about “trauma-informed” teaching, this workshop offers a powerful foundation for approaching the teaching of writing that doesn’t need a curriculum script and is oriented toward the well-being of all students.

Participants will:

• Write and experience what it’s like to be a writing student;
• Consider how a culture of writing in the classroom can create a positive and affirming space for all students, especially those who might be vulnerable;
• Realize how a more positive culture of writing will enhance literacy growth and achievement;
• Learn about and experience different categories of mini-lessons to ensure a dynamic and rich instructional plan for teaching writing;
• Learn about integrating children's literature and popular media into meaningful and responsive writing lessons;
• Read and write place narratives and social narratives;
• Read and discuss the writing of classroom teachers who use their teaching to connect with vulnerable students and empower all student writers;
• Create an action plan for the classroom.

Registration & Cancellation Deadline:  November 2, 2026

Cancellation and Refund Policy: All cancellations must be submitted via email to mbaer@uga.edu before the cancellation deadline in order to receive a full refund. Cancellations after the cancellation deadline are non-refundable. If cancellation is not made by the deadline, and you are not able to attend, you or your organization is still liable for payment.

Registration Transfer: If you have registered for an event but cannot attend, you may transfer your registration to another person. Simply email 48 hours before the event to mbaer@uga.edu with the registration information of the person who will attend.

Payment Information

Paying by check: If you choose to pay by check by submitting a purchase order, the amount due will adjust to $0.00 because you haven't actually paid anything yet. We will send an official invoice by email showing the amount due and the address to mail payment so that you can submit for payment. Checks should be made payable to “UGA”.

Paying by UGA General Ledger Journal Entry: If you are a UGA faculty or staff member and are paying by departmental journal entry, the amount due will adjust to $0.00 because you haven't actually paid anything yet. Please enter the name, phone number and email address of the person responsible for the funds (chartstring) you are using to pay for the registration fee so we can work with them to make the journal entry. Registration will not be confirmed until we have this information.

Invoice procedure for everyone paying by check/PO or UGA Journal Entry: Invoices will be sent a few days after the registration is confirmed. When you successfully complete the registration process, you will receive two emails from Melanie Baer (mbaer@uga.edu). One to let you know the registration has been received and a second when it is confirmed. A few days later, you will receive an email from Lori Robbins (lori.robbins@uga.edu) including a copy of the official invoice and the payment address. Please don’t remit payment until you receive the email from Lori Robbins as sometimes checks are sent to the wrong UGA office by mistake. This process often takes up to 5 business days to complete.

Paying by credit card: Credit cards sometimes aren’t processed until a few days after you submit the registration in Marketplace. Please make sure the card number is correct, the billing zip code matches the billing address for the card and the card isn’t expired, or expiring in the next few days. If the credit card doesn’t go through for some reason, you will have to re-submit the registration.