ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a case study of a professional development programme that supported a group of 27 teachers to develop their practice in this area. It provides a case study of the Empowering Young Writers programme, a series of six twilight continuing professional development (CPD) sessions aiming to support teachers to develop this identity. The chapter also provides an overview of what defines a teacher’s writing identity and outlines the key factors that evidence suggests may affect this. It defines teachers’ writing identities as constructs that are subject to personal, social and cultural factors. Research highlights the significant demands placed upon a generalist primary teacher in England, compounded by the fact that many teachers train to teach through a one-year postgraduate course. A key theme that emerges from research surrounding teachers as writers is the positive effects that ‘communities of practice’ can have on teachers’ writing identities.
