Brave Writer Values

1. Affirming

Every child is a writer. Every parent is a writing coach. Our aim is to release children and parents to be the best writers and coaches they can be at this stage in their development. We use positive feedback and warm, supportive, empathetic online communication to enhance the success of the parent-child team. We affirm the power of the parent-child relationship in the development of competent writers.

2. Protective

We are protective of the parent-child relationship. We aim to strengthen, nurture and validate it. Writing is a place where tensions can run high. Using creative solutions to old habits, we help parents and children to find a rhythm that both honors the child's unique personality while helping a parent meet his or her goals for that child's writing development.

3. Committed

We are committed to writing success, first and foremost. We believe that quality writing is that which honestly expresses the intention of the writer while doing so in a compelling manner. All of our classes and discussion groups are designed with this goal in mind.

4. Creative

Our strength as instructors is that we can see the good that is in the child's writing that the parent doesn't yet see. We find the gems lost in the bad spelling and missing punctuation and point them out. We offer you creative solutions to your writing and coaching struggles.

5. Believing

We believe what children say. If they say they hate writing, we believe them. If they say they don't want to write, we trust them. If they say a certain exercise is stupid, we accept their opinion. We start with where children really are. They can't shock us! When we start with their truth, we begin a new pattern of writing from a place of honesty which often unblocks the writer. Once we know the truth, we can hold a space for our children to develop strategies that enable them to overcome the powerful emotions and learn to write anyway.

6. Non-sectarian

Brave Writer is non-sectarian. Our instructors come from a variety of religious and non-religious backgrounds and so do our students. We do not promote one specific view. Because we work in the homeschooling world, we are aware of the importance of religious faith to many of our students. We do not seek to shape or direct the content of a student's writing or worldview. All worldviews, belief systems, and religious perspectives are honored and protected. The writer is guided in finding the best words and formats to communicate his or her worldview and/or beliefs powerfully, and with panache.

7. Investigative

Thoughtful questions develop the best writing. Brave Writer instructors are trained to ask questions that guide a student into deeper investigation of a topic so that they enlarge their vocabulary for writing as well as notice the nuances of the subject matter that they must consider as they develop their particular piece. Questions open possibilities in the writing that the writer may not have seen without them.

8. Diverse

A brave education depends on the quality of our sources. The more voices at the table, the more innovation in learning. We’re committed to growth. We learn every day from a rich mixture of perspectives from the books we read, outside training, professional development, our staff members, customers, families, and leadership team. We actively recruit team members from all walks of life: race, gender, age, religion, sexual identity, neurodiversity, and experience. Our communities and classes embrace everyone. We believe more voices mean more power.

We want you, as you are, in our space. Welcome!