She has worked with preservice and inservice teachers in Indiana, Michigan, and across the United States in order to increase awareness of inquiry-driven, strategic, and genre-based writing instructional practices. Her research focuses on writing instruction and teacher development, with particular interest in sociocultural approaches to understanding children's writing, instructional practice, classroom discourse, and child/teacher learning. Dr. Hawkins has presented her work at national and international venues and published in multiple national/international journals.