Past Institutes

Teaching Writing: Best Practices and New Resources (2025 In-Person Institute)

On June 9–12, 2024, Humanities Texas partnered with The University of Texas at Austin to hold a professional development institute for English language arts (ELA) teachers focusing on best practices and new resources for teaching writing.

Curriculum

Content aligned with the TEKS. Presentations addressed understanding and engaging student writers; analysis, argumentation, and evaluation; and using AI and digital tools.

Like all Humanities Texas teacher programs, the institute emphasized close interaction with scholars, the examination of texts, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities.

Faculty

Coleman Hutchison (The University of Texas at Austin) served as faculty director for the institute. Faculty for the institute included Christa Eshleman (Prairie View A&M University), Marta Krogh (Southern Methodist University), Amanda Licastro (Swarthmore College), Giuseppe Taurino (Writers in the Schools (WITS) Houston), Joshua Wheeler (Louisiana State University), and Casey Boyle, Alice L. Batt, Oscar Cásares, John Morán González, Bret Anthony Johnston, and Susan Schorn of The University of Texas at Austin. The institute's opening panel was moderated by John Phillip Santos (The University of Texas at San Antonio; chair, Humanities Texas Board of Directors) and featured Elizabeth Chapman (Houston ISD, Humanities Texas Board of Directors), Russell Gold (T1 Energy), Naomi Shihab Nye (Academy of American Poets, Texas State University), and Kathryn Vomero Santos (Trinity University, Humanities Texas Board of Directors).

Location and Schedule

The institute took place at The University of Texas at Austin from June 9-12, 2025. The schedule is available  here.

Sponsors

The institute was made possible with major funding from the State of Texas, with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.