Kaye Haller – Writing Coaches for Whitefish School District
by Rita Braun
Imagine you, a novice writer in middle or high school, and your assignment of a five-paragraph essay on which you must make a claim and support it throughout, is due tomorrow. And you haven’t started it yet.
What is it you want to say? Really want to say?
What do you want to tell the world?
So you take a stab at the writing, knowing that the writing coaches will be in class the next day to help you with your essay.
Lucky you. Kaye Haller is one of the writing coaches, the writing coach you always wanted—always needed.
The person who can help you draw the mumbo-jumbo of words and incomplete thoughts into an essay you can be proud of.
In fact, I’m writing this blog post as if Kaye were coaching me through it, asking me, “What is it you want to say?”
Up until I wrote this post, creative writing kind of terrified me, for really, I had always made the writing about me. Will I sound interesting? Smart? Crafty? …rather than making it about a message I needed to throw out to the world—a message that could matter, even in a small way. Maybe someone needs to hear it in order to further a plan, or take a stride toward a goal.
So here’s what I have to say.
The most beautiful revelation Kaye made for me is that writing is like talking, but on paper. She says,
“For we stumble sometimes when we talk. It takes a moment to get the words right. So you try again. And that is life, trying again. So much of life is a work in process, just as writing is.”
Kaye is a light, kindred spirit who helps young writers find meaning in their writing.
An early elementary school teacher for 32 years, Kaye is now in her 5th year as a writing coach, working with her former students on their writing assignments.
“It’s so lovely seeing how their writing has developed on the other end of the spectrum and how writing has changed so much! In years past, it was ‘Teach to the test! Here’s what you need to know. Catch it! Give it back on a test.’ Now, students have opportunities to write about topics they’re interested in, such as Ms. Finberg’s students writing about controversial topics and taking a position, for or against.”
“I love being able to connect with them, and praise their writing. I have more of a chance to do that as a coach, to tell them, ‘I’m interested in this part, I want to know more—you really caught me at this part, but you stopped too fast.’”
And Kaye, I’m happy you are here to make those connections. It’s great to have you on our team.
Thank you for working with the Writing Coaches of Montana!
