In the beginning...

“Teachers of writing need to be writers themselves.”  I’m sure I’ve seen this many times before, but this summer it seems to have made its way into my brain. I may have disregarded that idea other times I’ve read it, as I was feeling good about a partner statement, “Teachers who teach reading need to be readers themselves.” No problem there – I read all the time.  “And I do write,” I told myself.  Every time we have a writing unit in school, I model with an example of what I might do so my students can see me thinking out loud, making revisions, pondering leads and endings.

But is that the same as being a writer? That’s the worm that’s been niggling in my brain this summer.  And as I read the comments about the All Write conference in June, and then the Teachers Write challenge from author Kate Messner, something kind of rolled over in my head.  I wasn’t really a writer – not the kind these people were talking about.  I wasn’t working on a writing project of any kind, and it didn’t have to be the next great novel.  I wasn’t journaling or blogging or even responding to tweets on Twitter. 

Then, in a tweet, someone said, “Start a blog. It’s a great way to do more reflection professionally.”  And I began to really think about that possibility; I’m starting my twenty-first year of teaching, I’m starting my thirteenth year in fourth grade, and I need a challenge to keep myself growing professionally. 

So here it is – my take on ideas I’ve read about, and things I’ve tried in my classroom.  I hope to write about what has worked, and what hasn’t worked, and maybe others will chime in as well.  Join me on my journey!