About Verity
Philosophy:
Writing well to live well.
I have been a Literacy Leader for 15 years, across the primary sector in both the UK and New Zealand. After three years of professional development with Gail Loane and Sally Muir, and after completing further study, I could see a better way of providing for our students – an approach to teaching and learning that genuinely places the child at the heart of the matter and produces results for all learners.
As educators today, we are surrounded by ideas and influences. Without a clear understanding of how we learn, without connection to our students and without sound pedagogy, we are vulnerable to distraction by ‘trendy’ tools and ‘novelty’ thinking. It is easy to forget that the child is the heart of the matter and that connection is key.
As I observed a transformation unfold in my classroom and watched my students blossom into authors, I continued to see hardworking and dedicated colleagues struggle. I could see we were sitting on a solution and was driven to share what had been discovered.
As other schools and educators began to seek support in replicating these results, I found myself on a path not only of discovery, but of advocacy and it resulted in the foundation of Biblio to put into practice all that had been learned and all that I valued.
“The challenge we’ve taken on in establishing reading-writing workshops is not only to help children write well, but also to help them live well...The challenge of helping children write well - and live well - is bigger than any of us and bigger than any of our theories. It is a challenge big enough to live for.”