Book Patty McGee for Your Keynote Speaker

Sharp Insights. Practical Advice. Immediate Impact.

If you’re an event planner and you’re looking for a highly engaging speaker on a wide variety of language arts topics, I’d love to hear from you. Below are a few of my most popular topics.

Keynote Topics

Note: I’ve listed the broadest grade ranges possible for each topic below, but all topics can be customized to fit the needs of your audience.

“Not Your Granny's Grammar: The Power and Joy of Grammar Study”

For teachers in grades 2-12

Mid-century modern may work for furniture but not for grammar learning. Luckily, there is a better way. Together, let’s explore an irresistible design for grammar study that hits all the language standards. It’s time for grammar to take its rightful place in literacy instruction!

“What Writers Need: Feedback that Moves Writers Forward”

For K-12 teachers

Writers in classrooms come in all stripes. We have storytellers, nonfiction writers, poets, and advocates. We also have budding writers who are struggling to find their voice or writers who have command of conventions but don’t say much in their writing. Our instruction and curriculum must be as diverse as the writers we teach and full of practical, strategic modeling and coaching. There are simple and powerful priorities for writing instruction that not only grow writers, but also create joyful, productive writing communities. Patty will show you how to simplify the hardest parts of teaching writing and prioritize what all writers need.

“The Symbiosis of Writing and Social Emotional Learning”

For K-12 teachers

There’s no doubt that social and emotional learning is the key that unlocks academic learning. While SEL may feel like just “one more thing” to squeeze into a time-crunched classroom, it doesn’t have to be, especially if you intentionally integrate SEL with writing. In fact, one cannot happen without the other! Let’s explore the myriad instructional possibilities of combining writing and SEL!

“Five Essential Moves to Make Conferring Effective and Efficient”

For K-12 teachers Let’s dig into one of the most impactful and challenging components of teaching writing: the conference. Together, we will explore different ways to streamline our conferences so that they’re both responsive and expeditious. The five essentials include:

Mentoring in lieu of editing
Structuring the conference time
Modeling a strategy
Using our own writing
Giving goal-centered feedback

With these five essentials in mind, we can streamline conferences by amplifying the most integral moves in conferring.

evidence-based information

What Educators Are Saying About Patty

★★★★★ 5/5

“I first met Patty eight years ago at a local Institute. She was the most popular session leader and keynote presenter at this conference.”

★★★★★ 5/5

“I actually got to do a workshop with Patty over the summer. Her pathways (strategies) used in her writer’s workshop are easy to implement and makes teaching writing easy and fun for both the teacher and students. I bought a second book to give to my student teacher. I would highly recommend this book to all teachers teaching writing. It is easy to read and will be a great tool to refer back to when teaching.”

Ready for Streamlined Writing Instruction that Works?

Let’s talk about how I can help you create an instructional approach that you’ll love.