Buddinwriters Team
Our team at Buddinwriters Academy is dedicated to empowering educators to equip students. Each team member is qualified and commits to presenting solid interactive professional development sessions that motivate educators to lead well in their spaces. We train to prevent teacher burnout, encourage teacher retention, and provide easy-to-use tools that contribute to improving teaching, and learning, student behavior, and overall student, teacher, and school success.
Visit Dr. MarthaJay's social media platforms to learn more about her work and to connect with her:
About Dr. MarthaJay
- MFA Creative Writing – Full Sail University
- Ed.D- Teacher Leadership – Walden University
- MA- Educational Leadership – University of the Virgin Islands
- BA – English and Secondary Education UVI
- CT – Elementary Education- Dominica State College
- FLE Certifications – Educational Leadership K-12, ESOL, Reading
- Other Trainings of 60 hrs or more: SWD, SEL
Dr. MarthaJay is a content developer and educational consultant with a passion for writing and learning. She is the creator of the Writing to Respond (WTR) process, an approach to teaching writing across disciplines for students in grades K-12. The WTR process combines the teaching of writing with enjoyable reading, and is currently used in schools to improve writing confidence and test scores.
Dr. MarthaJay is also a prolific writer, producing both fiction and non-fiction works. Her non-fiction writing includes books, workbooks, charts, and other resources to support the teaching of writing. Her children’s fiction books focus on themes of resilience, perseverance, determination, and effective social interaction.
In addition to her work as a content developer and educational consultant, Dr. MarthaJay is also a sought-after public speaker and professional development trainer. She delivers virtual and face-to-face sessions on a variety of topics, including initiative implementation techniques, the use of principles of habit to drive success, how to build writing confidence, and how to develop a culture of reading and writing in schools.
Dr. MarthaJay is committed to helping others achieve their writing goals, and she is passionate about making a difference in the world through education.
Mrs. Nurseen Davis
- Presenter and Literacy Specialist
- BA- English and Secondary Education
- MA- Reading – University of the Virgin Islands
Mrs. Davis brings more than 30 years of experience in education. She served as a Language Arts teacher, Advanced Placement instructor, and adjunct instructor at the university level. She also served as language Arts Coordinator in her school district. Mrs. Davis adds her skills as a coach and trainer to Buddinwriters Academy.
Mr. Geoffrey Bagnato
- Presenter and Digital Learning Specialist
- BA in English and Secondary Education – Slippery Rock University
- MA in Digital Learning and Leadership – Lamar University
- FLE Certifications: ESOL
- Other Training of 60 hrs or more: SWD, SEL
Mr. Bagnato adds 10 years of classroom experience to our team. He has experience working in a behavioral facility for boys and in a public and charter school setting. Mr. Bagnato’s most recent position in education was with Eastern Florida State University. His skills in digital learning and information technology complement our team.
Testimonials: Focusing on Student Success
During the peak of the pandemic we struggled with means for keeping our teachers motivated. I reached out to Dr. Watts at Buddinwriters Academy and I am glad we did. She conducted interactive virtual sessions with our team of 26 cross-curricular educators on how to teach writing to our students in remote learning. We knew we were on point when our American Sign Language (ASL) teacher realized that she could utilize WTR to teach her students how to think as writers even though they communicated differently. Our educators expressed enthusiasm and continue to request follow-up sessions.
After we solicited Dr. Watts as our virtual trainer on "How to Prepare the Elementary Child for Writing", we were concerned about keeping our teachers motivated to teach the process in non-Language Arts classes. We knew we could not afford the additional coaching and support sessions Buddinwriters offered, but we wanted to ensure that all new teachers who entered our building knew how to utilize WTR process and its resources. We reached out to Dr. Watts and she provided videos that outlined the use of each significant resource. Buddinwriters is truly concerned about students in disadvantaged settings and we are thankful.
