A Reflection on the Trace Taylor Workshop
by Julie Poth

Imagine a teacher on the first day of summer vacation. Visualize what the day might be like. Maybe asleep, hidden under the covers from the morning sunshine that pierces the window. What about the aroma and taste of fresh coffee, the back and forth movement of a swing on the porch as words from a novel form and come to life in the mind? When I think of a teacher’s first day of vacation, this is the image I conjure.

Twenty-four Pinellas County 4th and 5th-grade teachers painted a different picture of this day because they intentionally chose to attend the Community Leveraged Learning (CLL) Birds Workshop held on the Eckerd College Campus. Sometimes, the unexpected frames decisions that are made. It was the word bird in the title of this workshop that prompted me to forgo morning coffee on the porch to attend. Birds are my heart. However, as the day came to a close, it became evident that the guidance of Trace Taylor in the art of writing was the true reward.

The Birding Workshop, a multidisciplinary curriculum of science and language arts, edited by Mary Osborne, Literacy Staff Developer in Pinellas County schools, and written by Trace Taylor, founding CEO of CLL, provided an opportunity for teachers to learn about the science and history of birds while strengthening their instructional craft in writing fundamentals, which in turn will transfer to their students.

My introduction to Trace Taylor was a confirmation that committed people can do great things. She captured the attention of each teacher through sharing her low sweet laugh, gentle reflective thinking, and intense heart for science, words, and writing. Her effective facilitation guided each teacher through an intentional structure of innovative instruction, observation, activity, application, discussion, and revision. Each participant strengthened their craft while they created their topic relevant story.

Sincerely,
Julie Poth, Director, Pinellas County Schools
Elementary Science