The 12 Paper Plunge

A Time-Tested, Proven Solution

The 12-Paper Plunge solves the writing problem in high schools by taking the emphasis off course content and classroom instruction and placing it instead on a method of assigning and grading papers in the humanities. Humanities teachers learn to set clear, consistent expectations, and students get the practice and reinforcement they need to improve.

The 12-Paper Plunge aims to have students writing at a college level by the end of a 12-paper cycle.

The Writing Problem(s)

If you are a high school teacher or administrator, I probably don’t have to tell you that:

  • Students matriculate in high school with writing skills that are “all over the board”!

  • Most humanities teachers care about good writing, but they rarely have time to teach it.

  • Feedback is tedious and time-consuming for teachers to provide.

  • Students don’t always read teacher feedback and when they do, they don’t always understand it.

  • Don't even get me started on “A.I.”

To deal with these issues, high schools often offer separate composition courses dedicated solely to writing, but they are no panacea. At their worst they eat up precious instructional time, giving schools a “box to check” and keeping students busy while doing little to improve their actual writing – and more importantly thinking - abilities.

To grow as writers, students need…

√ To be taught (the knowledge)

The 12-Paper Plunge provides 3.5 hours of video-based writing instruction to maximize student learning objectives.

√ To be coached (the practice)

The 12-Paper Plunge framework helps teachers identify the most effective coaching methods that foster transformational growth in your students.

√ To be held accountable (the grade)

The 12-Paper Plunge framework provides efficient rubrics to help teachers grade quickly and effectively in a way that facilitates rapid student improvement in the areas that really count.

Meet Your Facilitator

Hello, I’m Ellen Finnigan, creator of The 12-Paper Plunge!

After a year of teaching at a writing-intensive classical high school, I realized that the writing curriculum I was required to use in my composition classes was not helping my students to write better essays in my literature classes. Over the next nine years, I developed, tried, tested, and refined my own instructional materials and correlated grading methods. Parents often said to me:

“Thank you! You taught my child how to write.”

“Thank you. You taught my child how to think!”

The two go hand-in-hand when you teach writing alongside the humanities.

Now I hope to teach other teachers how to do for their students what I did for mine!

~ Ellen Finnigan
Founder, Teach to the Text

Beside, between, beyond curriculum.

What students are saying about the 12-Paper Plunge:

  • I really love how this program has made me able to write about things that interest me fluently and with a level of clarity that is surprising even to me!

    Marie, 9th grade

  • I think that this program is a great program and I truly believe that it is helping me!

    Margaret, 10th grade

  • The videos were pretty good, and engaging. Good job of tying in real world examples and making it feel like you were really going to need the content.

    Eli, 10th grade

  • ..having specific steps to follow as a guide is extremely helpful! This course absolutely provided that for me and I was truly grateful...

    Isabel G., 10th grade

  • I have always preferred creative writing, but this program increased my interest in being able to write a good essay.

    Caroline, 10th grade

  • These instruction tutorials were very helpful...Thank you for creating a clear, easy to use, and efficient way to learn a complex principle. I look on future writing assignments with a greater confidence and understanding....

    Mary Joy, 10th grade

  • Too many papers.

    Isaiah. 10th grade

  • It's more work but easier in a way.

    Analise, 9th grade

  • Tortilla chips.

    Miles, 9th grade

What teachers are saying about the 12-Paper Plunge:

  • “…it was excellent training. The videos were clear and enjoyable and the website was easily navigable. I appreciated the chance to write my own paper (even in the midst of many tasks I have to do) because it gave me the chance to really enter into the process and see for myself that it not only worked but worked really well.”

    Ms. Cutrell, Instructor of Philosophy and Theology, Our Lady of Victory, Littleton, CO

  • “I was hesitant about the writing program at first, but I feel genuinely confident in my ability to use your program in my classes so that the students will know exactly what is expected of them and become stronger writers. The videos were engaging, the steps make sense and feel seriously thorough, and the rubric tools are a lifesaver.”

    Ms. Grant, Head of Writing Department, Our Lady of Victory, Littleton, CO

  • “I honestly loved the videos and getting to do a bit of reading, analyzing, and writing as a student again. I loved getting to meet [Ms. Finnigan] during the live training!”

    Mrs. Reuter, Instructor of History and Philosophy, Our Lady of Victory, Littleton, CO

How It Works

The 12-Paper Plunge program includes three to four months of activities for Administrators and the Lead Teacher, as well as 10 hours of training (5 hours self-paced, 5 hours live) for participating teachers before the academic school year begins. This is followed by the academic calendar program for the 12-Paper Plunge Program itself.

Schools can have their students complete the training in August before school starts, or assign the student training videos in their first English classes of the school year.

Teachers should ideally complete their training before the school year begins during time set aside for professional development.

    • Application deadline

    • Program deposit due

    • Stakeholder meetings

    • Program scheduling

    • Participating faculty identified

    • Faculty enrollment & access to self-paced online course (onboarding program)

    • Ongoing faculty training (self-paced, online)

    • Student cohort enrolled in Composition Bootcamp

    • Faculty onboarding complete

    • Live professional development training program for participating faculty

    • Students finish Composition Bootcamp

    • Participating faculty and students complete the 12-Paper Plunge academic school year program

Apply Today

Teaching writing to high schoolers is too heavy a burden for one teacher - or even one department - to bear, but many hands make light work, so let’s get started!

If your school is interested in participating in The 12-Paper Plunge Program, book a call with me.