UISG recently welcomed literacy and Writer’s Workshop expert Matt Glover for an inspiring and impactful week of professional learning. Matt’s visit built on several online sessions he held with teachers during the last school year. His week with the school this term highlighted the progress already made in teaching writing while also nudging our learning forward through purposeful next steps. His visit brought together teachers, support staff, parents, and students around a shared commitment: helping every learner grow as a confident, capable, and purposeful writer.

Tap the video above for more highlights

Throughout the week, Matt joined grade-level planning meetings to map out literacy units and strengthen the progression of writing instruction across the school. Working collaboratively with teaching teams, he helped project the literacy units for the year and create a balanced curriculum from Early Years through Grade 5. This work supported both vertical articulation, ensuring that learning develops progressively across grade levels, and horizontal articulation, ensuring consistency and balance within each year group.

Matt also taught Writer’s Workshop lessons in classrooms, giving teachers the opportunity to observe his techniques in action. These demonstration lessons provided valuable insights into how effective writing instruction can be responsive, purposeful, and closely connected to students’ individual needs.

Lessons in classrooms

Three key areas shaped Matt’s work with teachers. First, he explored the effective use of mentor texts: high-quality examples that help students notice how writers make choices and apply those discoveries to their own work. Second, he modelled how to guide teachers through meaningful writing conferences with students. These conversations begin with careful listening and observation, allowing the teacher to understand the writer’s intentions and current strategies. Finally, Matt focused on choosing appropriate teaching points by noticing what a writer is already doing well and identifying the next manageable step in their development.

Matt’s message extended beyond the classroom. He met with parents, teaching assistants, and learning support assistants to discuss what it means to nudge development and value approximations. Participants considered how important it is to avoid overwhelming learners with too many targets at once. Instead, adults can celebrate what students have already achieved, identify one purposeful next step, and build confidence through encouragement and focused support.

Teachers also developed their understanding of how to explore and assess writing through parallel tracks of conventions and composition. This approach recognises that spelling, punctuation, and grammar are important, while also valuing ideas, structure, voice, purpose, and meaning. By considering both tracks, teachers can support students in becoming holistic writers rather than focusing only on producing grammatically correct work. 

A highlight of the week was the writing celebration assembly. Students shared their writing with one another in mixed-age groups, creating a joyful atmosphere of listening, appreciation, and learning. The event showcased students’ growing confidence and their developing ability to articulate both their writing progress and the process behind their work. 

Matt Glover’s visit has strengthened our shared language and vision for writing instruction at UISG. Most importantly, it reminded us that writing development is a journey built through careful noticing, thoughtful teaching, celebration, and trust in learners’ potential. The learning from this week will continue to shape classrooms and support our community as we grow together as writers. 

With Mr. Glover 2026

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