This workshop concentrates on the important first steps writing teachers make as they plan for success in their classrooms.

These are the key points the teachers, educators, authors, and students consider:

1. It is important to map out a plan of action before you begin teaching a writing course.
2. When you plan, you need to:
   1. Make sure that students have ample chances to participate in the many processes of writing,
   2. Think about local, state, and national standards as the floor, not the ceiling, for your work, and
   3. Consider what writing experiences you want for your students and ways in which you will be able to know they have mastered them.
3. It is important to be flexible if your plan isn't going the way you expected.
4. There is support for teachers in planning courses from other teachers, department heads, county offices, and organizations like the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Writing Project (NWP).
5. Students can gain a great deal by becoming effective writers. They gain a skill that allows them to succeed personally and professionally. They become more adept at thinking and reasoning. They find personal satisfaction in being able to communicate well.

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