We’re committed to providing regular forums for our writers and teachers to share knowledge, skills and practical experience. Over the last couple of weeks, teachers and writers have been getting together for skills sharing sessions in classrooms and libraries across the country.
Investment in our writers and school staff is pivotal in transforming the lives of the young people we support. It’s crucial that we invest in the skills of both our writers and schools’ teaching staff, offering support and inspiration in equal measure.
Several times a year, in each of our operating regions, we invite our writers and teachers to get together informally (there may even be pizza) to share their experiences of delivering First Story’s creative writing programmes.
Because First Story is embedded in each of its operating regions (the East Midlands, London and the North of England), with well-established local networks, our skills sharing sessions are able to respond meaningfully to the specific needs or concerns of each community we serve.
Participants often describe these sessions as an opportunity to write, reflect and bond. For more than a decade we’ve been connecting like-minded professionals to each other, in the process helping to build some lasting friendships, as well as useful networks.
Over the past fortnight, as writers, teachers and librarians braved all weathers to get together, we asked participants what they get most from these sessions…
A great opportunity to share good practice across schools, these conversations have enabled us to develop our provision each year.
Great to catch up, get some good pointers and learn from those who’ve done it before.
Incredibly useful way of sharing experiences and reflecting on the programmes I’m facilitating.
So nice to see everyone together in one place and feel the sense of community.
I always leave with a bit of a buzz.
Absolutely invaluable for setting us up as a team and on the same page.
Having the opportunity to write is both fun and therapeutic. We share what we have written and that creates trust and strengthens the bonds in the First Story family.
I like the wit of the Northern writers; there’s something special about Hullite humour! Learning and laughing at the same time really works.
Strengthened my sense of being part of a community of writers working to open up creative writing as a possibility for young people.
They are so upbeat, there’s a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the room.
We’ve created an LGBT+ training resource