i heart writing

I never thought I would call myself writer in my first years of teaching...and that's because, I wasn't. I taught writing, but I didn't write side-by-side with my students. It wasn't until I started blogging that I got really interested in writing. Blogging gave me a sense of audience like that I've never had before. Comments left on my blog continue to create this desire within myself to write more often and to write in more engaging ways.

I know that I write a lot on this blog about my boyfriend and food sometimes and maybe music and a variety of random things I'm doing - but my choice to do that, has a purpose that is twofold.

First,  I want my readers to know me, to know parts of my life that are not related to teaching, because all of that makes me into the kind of teacher I am! The blogs I read that I love most are ones where the writer shares openly about his or her personal life, as well as professional ideas, tips, and resources. 

Also, when I'm drafting a blog, I'm always thinking about how to make my writing better, how to use the same strategies I teach my students to make my personal writing better:

• Zoom in to show, not tell
• Slow down time to cause more tension in my pieces
• Research new vocabulary to enhance meaning of my text
• Write in other genres (poetry coming in March!) that I usually don't write
• Constantly check and double check my conventions, so my message is clear to my reader
• Consider the length of my posts, as I know longer ones will turn readers off because each of us is living a busy, full-to-the-max life

The Slice of Life is starting on March first. I will be participating with Two Writing Teachers - writing short "slices" of my day-to-day life that I will share with you. While they may not be a lesson plan or a tip to improve instruction or assessment, they are purposeful in that with each post, I learn more about best writing practice, and those lessons will naturally spill over to the kids I write with and the teachers with whom I plan writing.

If you are a writing teacher, if you are someone who coaches teachers or students on writing, one of the *very* best things you can do yourself is to write on an ongoing basis. You naturally feel the struggle in writing: What should I write about? How do I get ideas? Will my readers like it? Will they understand it? All of these insights will lead to enhanced writing teaching for your students!

I got an amazing compliment yesterday, "Wow, you're really good at writing teaching points for memoir!" and that would have never been the case had I not put myself out there in this exact way. (Seriously, that comment was the highlight of my day yesterday, thank you!)

So....what can you share about your day today that could have the amazing possibility of informing your writing instruction?

Funny - Cause it's True!