Series Title: Bring the Science of Writing Alive in Your Classroom with Releasing Writers (formerly think SRSD)
Series Description: Discover easy-to-implement, enjoyable and evidence-based ways to re-invigorate how you teach writing. Learn pre-writing strategies that help students make deeper meanings of texts. Support your writers as they can generate fresh insights when they write about these. Teach scaffolds and structures for navigating the full writing process from planning to revision, and in ways to build knowledge about the world, and student voice. Help your students become more strategic, empowered, independent and goal-oriented writers, and thinkers.
About the Speaker: Dr. Leslie Laud, EdD, is the founding director of Releasing Writers, formerly think SRSD, the community of teachers and researchers who use and study Self-Regulated Strategy Development, an approach developed by Drs. Karen Harris and Steve Graham. She teaches evidence-based writing instruction at Teachers College, Columbia University, teaches SRSD for writing at Bank Street College of Education, and collaborates with the WELL team at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is the author of Releasing Writers (2020), Releasing Readers (2024), and Executive Skills and Writing Instruction (2025). Her title is Director of Releasing Writers, and she is a member of our chapter.
Session Details:
– Session One takes place Thursday, September 24, 2026 and is designed for K-2 teachers, coaches, and leaders, with a foundational writing focus.
– Session Two takes place Thursday, October 15, 2026 and supports teachers of grades 3 and up as students move from prompt to confident, well-organized writing.
Both sessions run 5:00 to 6:30 pm Arizona time, which is 6:00 to 7:30 pm Colorado time, and both time zones should appear wherever times are shown. The sessions are virtual and interactive with breakout discussion, and a recording will be available after each session. Official individual session titles are still expected from Dr. Laud, so the grade band framing stands in for now and her titles will replace it when they arrive.
Registration: Registration is live on Zeffy under the event title Bring the Science of Writing Alive, and one registration covers both sessions. Registration is $5, and TRL-AZ and TRL-CO members register free with a code shared through member email.
Click here to register: zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/bring-the-science-of-writing-alive