WriterCoach Connection

Excitement builds in El Cerrito as writer coaching takes shape

Coaches are signing up for training, teachers and Community Alliance for Learning staffers are setting dates for program orientation, and energy is running high at El Cerrito High School as the school and community prepare for the first-ever launch of WriterCoach Connection in the West Contra County Unified School Distric this fall. 

At ECHS, for the first time WCC will focus exclusively on English Language Development students, coaching ELD 3 and 4 students, and possibly serving students in the READ 180 class in the spring, if sufficient coaches are in place.

The community point person for the El Cerrito program is Todd Groves, who says, "WCC has the needed elements to successfully reach our students and assist them to succeed. Seeing the program in action, we knew immediately that we had a WCC-sized hole at El Cerrito High. In 14 years of volunteering in El Cerrito schools, I've never participated in a more positive and significant effort than bringing this program to life."

The El Cerrito program is in good hands!

Bob Menzimer

The Word about writer coaching from Longfellow students

We can stare at a blank page all we want, trying to figure out how to convey the essence of writer coaching, to communicate the value of what we do in the classroom. But sometimes it's best to just get out of the way and let students tell the story. Here are some comments from Berkeley students at Longfellow Middle School as they completed work with their writer coaches this spring.

"I appreciate that you help me with my writing. I don't know why a person as smart as you would be teaching middle school but thank you and I'm so lucky to have someone like you and that means something because I don't believe in luck.Thank you and I hope to work with you again." 

"I liked when we were both wearing pink on the same day! I like when you always listen to me when I have to say something."

"I wanted to thank you for coming by and taking time out of your day to help me. I appreciate when you gave me ideas when I didn't have anything to write. Last but not least I wanted to thank you for not giving up on me when things got rough n' always telling me good job."

"I really appreciate you guys/ladies coming in and helping us with our writing. Thank you so much for  correct punctuation & spelling and helping us make our writing better. I really love how you guys/ladies found ways to make our writing better by using the ideas we already had in mind or on the paper. I'm so grateful we have the chance to have writing coaches because not everyone has that type of opportunity. Writing coaches helped not only me but a lot of my friends. I want to show my appreciation for how you  would try to understand what was already written and didn't criticize it but still found ways to help make it more academic or even better. I'm glad you guys were here."

"Thanks for helping me realize my mistakes. If you hadn't helped me with my writing I would have had a lot of mistakes which would've been bad. I also appreciated it when listening to my writing or reading with me. When you listened to me I felt good because that means that you cared and wanted to help me."

Want to see a visual representation of this emotion? Here's coach Nettie Hoge, with a Longfellow student:

 Put yourself in this picture! Fall coach training classes are starting soon, and you can sign up here.

Bob Menzimer

WriterCoach Connection in the City of Light

Veteran WCC coach Kevin Westbrooke was in Europe this spring to visit his daughters and figured Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was not a bad place to practice the Bach mass he is singing with the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra. Not a bad place to promote WriterCoach Connection, either!

Bob Menzimer