Testimonials
Mary Ellen Ledbetter
Language Arts Consultant
What Administrators Say:
My school system was lucky enough to hire Mary Ellen as our convocation speaker as well as a professional development presenter. The teachers found Mary Ellen to be engaging and motivating which is exactly what is needed at the start of the school year. As a professional development presenter for middle/high school teachers, Mary Ellen offered teacher-friendly, effective writing strategies to employ the first day of school. Her expertise as well as extensive experience offered the teachers ready to use lessons presented with Mary Ellen's formidable knowledge and humor.
Barbara Daly-Byrnes
Supervisor of ELA, Tolland Public Schools, Tolland, CT
Mary Ellen Ledbetter is entertaining, engaging, and smart. I learned all this while working with her in her role as a professional development consultant for our school district on a Continuing Education day. My role was to handle the logistics of the training, including support for Mary Ellen as our presenter....
Mary Ellen has been a presenter with the Bureau of Education & Research for many years and her seminars only get better with every year! She works very had to keep her programs up-to-date and full of great strategies. She is a joy to work with and seminar participants always love her good humor and bright smile.
Sophie Pattison
Bureau of Education and Research
Mary Ledbetter's work is not only teacher-friendly, but classroom-proven. Her books are filled with practical strategies and techniques that can be used immediately with all students, from the struggling, reluctant writer to the more proficient writer. These are a "must-have" for every educator teaching writing.
Jeannie Donoghue
Professional Development Director
Bureau of Education and Research
Teachers in search of highly effective strategies to teach writing need to look no further than the expertise of Mary Ellen Ledbetter. Her extensive experience, wealth of knowledge, and captivating presentations fill educators' minds with practical, ready-to-use lessons to take student writing beyond their highest expectations. My teachers spared no time in returning to their classrooms and building a whole new model of writing instruction based on Ms. Ledbetter's models.
Melissa Barnett
ELA Department Supervisor
Washington Township Schools
Sewell, NJ
I cannot say enough great things about Mary Ellen Ledbetter! As a High School Departmental Supervisor, I was lucky to have her present at our school every year of my employment. First, Mary has a wealth of experience and gave the teachers in my department so many different strategies and techniques to improve writing skills and encourage student participation in the classroom. I not only utilized her strategies within my department but even at home with my own young readers. In addition, I continue to incorporate her ideas in my college-level courses. Her presentations are fast-paced, energetic and fun! You will absolutely fall in love with Mary's ideas and her amazing personality. I consider Mary a mentor, role model and friend. She even makes herself available long after her presentations for questions and ideas. I highly recommend Mary if you need a new, fresh and innovative presenter!
Dr. Sharon Konowitz
Supervisor & College Professor
Mary Ledbetter brings back the fun of learning through the successes of your students. Students begin to authentically enjoy writing. I have seen teachers sit down and do the prompts themselves because they want to, which has been a powerful tool for the revision process for students to read and respond to their teacher's writing alongside theirs. Because Mary speaks the same language as teachers and students, she can help educators understand that feedback from students is VITAL to governing the focus of instruction. She can also help teachers give effective, meaningful responses to students in a way that produces fun, yet vigorous learning. After a Ledbetter seminar, the excitement of learning begins to "infect" classrooms.
Kim Irvine
Secondary ELA
Webber School District Curriculum Department
What Teachers and Students Say:
A few Comments from non-ELA teachers attending the ELA session with you:
As a long time educator in Harrison County, it isn't easy to come up with useful and timely continuing education programs for the teachers. The session I attended at the Robinson Grand on January 3rd was an exception to normal mandatory CE sessions we frequently receive. The speaker was engaging as well as entertaining, and the material she presented was interesting and varied. Much of the items covered could be easily implemented by our county's teachers. I plan on using several of the tips and techniques presented in my own classes. It isn't easy to impact change in a veteran teacher, but this session has done just that.
Congratulations and thank you to Harrison County Schools for a great day of CE.
Harrison County Schools Non-ELA Teacher
In the ELA session, teachers practiced strategies for reading comprehension, context clues, analysis, supporting evidence, transitions, and more deficiencies identified by each high school's Results Driven Priorities team. In addition, they also learned or refreshed how to write well. One teacher noted, "I feel like I'm learning ELA, but I'm a special education teacher!"
Prior to the session, we submitted our collected data from the previous year's testing--both from teachers and principals--in terms of students' weakest areas that needed to be addressed. In addition, excellent conversations occurred between presenter and facilitator in preparing for the engaging session. Mary Ellen has data showing that she has helped districts raise standardized test scores when it's a systemic initiative. She went to the district every six weeks and worked with ELA teachers. She says she wished she had the Special Education teachers separately from the ELA teachers.
It is very difficult to pack so much excellent data, resources, strategies and information in one full day, however in my opinion, the presenter was successful with doing just that. It would have been wonderful to have been a 2 day session to elaborate more on strategies.
Tonya G. Eve
Special Education Curriculum Coordinator
Harrison County Schools- Office of Special Education
Clarksburg, WV
My teaching partner and I attended Mary Ellen's BER conference on our own. The strategies she taught us were so easy to use in the classroom and improved our teaching so much, that we encouraged our principal to bring her to our building. We are so glad we did! Our entire English staff, from first year teachers to 25 year veterans, is excited about incorporating into our classrooms the strategies Mary Ellen taught us. The kids are working hard in class, they are learning a ton, and we are not taking mountains of papers home to grade. Mary Ellen's strategies are easy to implement, kid friendly, and will revitalize your teaching practice.
Amy Sutton
Poulsbo Middle School
Poulsbo, WA
I wanted to follow up with you both about the writing assignment and how we used some of the techniques from the Ledbetter writing in-service for the 9 Adv. paper. At this point I have graded 2/3 of the papers and overall they are so much better written than papers we have received in the past. The structure and organization is so much more defined. I debriefed with my classes today about the process and the overwhelming majority said it was definitely helpful and they made changes on what they thought was their final paper when they went through and color coded the paper. This is huge! This is the first time I've felt really effective at writing instruction that I can remember.
From my perspective it has sped up the grading process significantly. I always struggled- reading papers multiple times, excessive comments, second guessing student's purpose, etc... I usually would set a timer to limit myself from analyzing a paper to death. This process totally eliminates my tendency to be consumed that way!
I just wanted to say now that we have gone through the full process it has been incredibly helpful!
Jenna Davis
9ELA Adv. & 10 ELA
Class of 2017 advisor
"Writing Instruction that Works!" Bulletin to Teachers
Bulletin to Teachers from Weber School District
Mary Ellen is a nationally renowned speaker, author, and educational consultant who leads the way in writing instruction in the classroom. With her expert guidance in all aspects of English Language Arts, she has helped thousands of teachers transform the way they deliver writing instruction. Mary Ellen has authored numerous books, each offering innovative techniques, tools, and tricks for improving student writing and language. In addition to presenting as a consultant for the Bureau of Education and Research, she visits schools across the United States and Canada, demonstrating her unique student-centered approach to administrators, teachers, and students. Not only is Mary Ellen a dynamic speaker, she shares her love and passion for writing in a way that motivates and encourages teachers and students alike
Melissa Castillo, CPLC
Director/Owner at Straight Outta Class Teacher Resources
After attending Mary Ellen Ledbetter workshops, those synaptic sparks fly, creative ideas churn, and I walk away with copious techniques to pique my students' interest and cultivate engagement in substantial writing. From modeling strong writing, to practicing quick writes, longer pieces, and then peer review, our learning time is imbibed with research-based-best practices. In fact, M.E.L. instructional techniques are so effective, my students have achieved consistent, high-performance on their state assessments. You might even overhear a conversation in the hallway among upperclassmen, as I did the other day, talking about HOW they used some of these techniques on a college paper. I just can't recommend enough the Mary Ellen Ledbetter training to teachers seeking a fresh, motivational method for getting students excited about writing.
Karen Yoder Wiersig
English I Instructor
Although I have taught AP literature for many years and have graded AP literature exams for many years as well, I found this seminar most insightful since it correlates so effectively with the expectations established by the College Board, namely to encourage all students to recognize and embrace the power of literature and writing. I can hardly wait to return to my classroom to implement some of the strategies. I feel some of my own work load lifted since the strategies presented in the seminar have allowed students to recognize their own sense of responsibility.
Carlos C.
High School English
CO
The Writing in Stages was mind-blowing. We usually start a writing task and do not stop until the final essay is finished. I never thought to stop, take a break, continue writing, etc. I also love the Smiley-Face Tricks for voice and cannot wait to implement them into my class. The overall breakdown of writing is just absolutely amazing!
Whitney S.
Morristown, TN
Excellent, engaging and intellectual presentation! Definitely appealed to higher levels of academic demands while making strategies manageable for all learners.
Kristy R.
High School Social Studies Teacher
WY
I am rejuvenated and realize that I have the right to a life and now have a mission to start modeling and conferencing with my students. Mary Ellen was truly the best presenter I have ever had due to her great sense of humor, attitude, and knowledge / experience.
Diette O.
High School English
AZ
A ten-point scale would not do Mary Ellen justice! Presence, humor, and knowledge base are extraordinary. I learned and enjoyed myself.
Michael L.
Supervisor of LA & SS
NJ
Yet another fabulous presentation by Mary Ledbetter! She just knows how to change difficult or boring concepts into simpler and interesting ones that are perfect for our classrooms.
Adrienne M.
LA Teacher
IL
I sat in a 7th grade English class, enamored by a dedicated teacher who kept our attention by bringing her passion and enthusiasm each day. She provided inspiration and then gave us room to flourish. This is where I found my voice and my love for writing. Mary Ellen Ledbetter captivated me with her steady stream of positive comments and smiley faces for voice in the margins of my papers. With all of the daily tasks a teacher churns through, she always made time for encouraging words and creative exercises that pushed us in new directions. As a writer on my journey to complete my first novel, I'm grateful that to this day she is still paving the way for others to make the very profound difference she made in my life.
LeeJayne Stone
Former Student
Mary Ellen is an excellent teacher and writing consultant. Her high-energy workshops and seminars engage students of all ability levels. My writing has greatly benefited from participating in her workshops. I highly recommend Mary Ellen's teaching expertise.
Kivan Polomis, PhD
Data Scientist at MAANA
Former Student
