Teacher as Writer

Why Science Teachers Should Write

Author: Marsha Ratzel Summary: One science teacher explains the importance of students writing to learn in science and science teachers writing to clarify their teaching. This short article gives examples of student work and is a powerful piece to share with science teachers within contexts of professional development to foster...

I Teach, (I Feel), I Write: Professional Writing with Emotion

Author: Joseph Check Summary: “If feeling emotion is part of working in schools, how does emotion fit into writing about that work?” This essay considers the reality of teachers’ emotional involvement with their work and how to deal with emotion in professional writing. A useful reading for writing groups and...

Preaching What We Practice

Author: Shelbie Witte Summary: In what ways do teachers of writing use revision in their own writing? How do digital writing environments impact revision and its instruction? What are teachers’ perceptions of revision in their own writing and in writing instruction in the classroom? Shelbie Witte’s research investigated these questions...

Pre-Retreat Coaching Leads to a More Successful Writing Retreat

Author: Rebeca García-González Summary: This article describes how pre-retreat coaching can be organized to deepen the effectiveness of a Professional Writing Retreat. This scaffolding prior to the event can be designed to help participants refine, adjust, or modify their writing plans and help build an early connection to a veteran...

Teaching in Two Worlds: Critical Reflection and Teacher Change in the Writing Center

Author: Dale Jacobs Summary: This article is a model of how one teacher used inquiry to revise his classroom practice. The author explains how his experience working in a college writing center led him to revise his approach to classroom teaching, leading him to a pedagogy that was more student-centered...

Diving with Whales: Five Reasons for Practitioners to Write for Publication

Author: Grace Hall McEntee Summary: The author offers five compelling reasons for teachers to write for publication, including the opportunity to understand our teaching practice and to inform the public. This brief article would work well as a resource for educators who are beginning to explore writing about their work....

Transforming Professional Lives through Online Participation

Author: Luke Rodesiler, Meenoo Rami, Gary Anderson, Cindy Minnich, Brian Kelley, Sarah Andersen Summary: The NWP principle of “going public with our practice” has taken on new meaning as avenues for connecting and going public have continued to open. This article takes a deep look at what happens when five...

Writing Project Teachers as Writers and Bloggers

Author: Grant Faulkner Summary: This article highlights NWP teachers/consultants who use blogs as a tool for inquiry and reflection and as a way to converse with a community of educators about their classrooms, their pedagogy, and educational reform. Teachers reading this piece can see the myriad purposes of creating a...

Why a Writing Retreat? Nurturing Confidence, Creativity, and Camaraderie Among Teacher Writers

Author: Kristy Lauricella Dawson Summary: This article includes several ideas on recruitment, resource gathering, and scheduling that can lead to successful writing retreats, as well as a discussion of the value of bringing together colleagues over time to work on their writing. Through this example, retreat planners can see how...

Changing Teaching from Within: Teachers as Leaders

Author: Ann Lieberman & Linda Friedrich Summary: For sites and individuals interested in exploring why teachers become leaders in their schools and communities and how they move into positions of leadership, this paper and accompanying slides provide a rich and in-depth look at stories from a research study of NWP...