Tend the Flame

by Susan Densmore-James

As a new Teacher Consultant of the National Writing Project (NWP) in the year 1992, I never fathomed becoming not only a director of a National Writing Project site but the founder of the Emerald Coast Writing Project at the University of West Florida.  I did, however, envision how deeply the best professional development of my 34-year career would continue to teach and shape me. This past weekend, my site celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the NWP with many of its site’s 250 Teacher Consultants attending for the same reasons– NWP firmly shaped them as educators and human beings. 

Planning this event, like any important anniversary, gave me pause.  It allowed me to dig deeply into our national web page, talk to other directors across the country (including our new Executive Director, Tanya Baker) and reflect on what the gift of the NWP has meant to my site in particular.

Gallery walk of Ideas for new writing lessons using mentor text.

I started down the vast rabbit hole that is our NWP webpage, and was brought to the phrase ”Tend the Flame”.  Before even spotting the amazing resource provided for creating a community poem, I stopped and really contemplated the phrase: Tend the Flame. Thankful to have Google now (yes, I was born in the time of the typewriter and armed with a shiny set of Encyclopedia Browns), I started to learn a bit more about the history of the phrase.  I came across what this meant in ancient civilizations, and what I learned was not only fascinating, but it made perfect sense: tending the flame was a sacred job, as it often times could mean the difference between life and death. In later times, the phrase was associated with “the flame of knowledge.” I even contemplated books I have read, poems enjoyed, and art perused that contained the phoenix rising from the ashes, a process that paves the way for renewal. This history explains the profound power of our teachers to light the flame of reading and writing for our youth. Even when worn down by their many responsibilities as teachers, they can find respite and rebirth with their NWP sisters and brothers.

With these thoughts at the forefront of my mind, I knew what we would do at our anniversary party. We would spend our time doing exactly what we have done during our 85- hour NWP Invitational Summer Institute over the past few years:  start with a “Write in the Day,” share the best new mentor texts to spark the flame of inspiration for our students, re-connect as a bonded community, and I, as their partner in all things reading and writing, would remind them that in order to keep the flame burning, they must often think of their own self care in order to care for so many others.

Our “Write in the Day” included a community poem, using the resources provided by our Kent State sisters and brothers at the Wick Poetry Center (mentor text provided by teachers who participated in a NWP session at the NCTE Annual Convention of 2022) in celebration of the anniversary. Additionally, several Teacher Consultants were situated at tables throughout the museum, sharing their new ideas for writing instruction.  All attendees were given new journals and a gallery walk of activities containing ideas for their classrooms.  We took time to honor our donors, who make our site possible, but most of all, we were together.  As the lines from our community poem proclaimed:   “…books and pencils are matches to light the flame…allowing students to find their voices is the oxygen that keeps the creative fire burning…if the flame dwindles, it is easily rekindled by our community of writers…” These powerful words built on ideas from another NWP site, as well as poetry that was formed at the widely attended NCTE, really encapsulate what is best about the NWP—we are the impactful sum of our strong community.

NWP Teacher Consultants and guests enjoy a Gallery Walk of Teacher Ideas.

At the end of the evening, we toasted James Gray, our national founder and great educator who, in  1974, sketched out the ideal educator professional development on a beverage napkin in a bar in Berkley. He started the flame. We are keeping it going. 

Dr. Susan James thanks Pamela Schwartz, devoted NWP donor.

Susan Densmore-James is the Director of the Emerald Coast National Writing Project at UWF and is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education.  She is known as “The Book Dealer” for her expertise and love of middle and Young Adult Literature.