Do you remember when you first became a reader of Two Writing Teachers Blog?
I do.
I was a second grade teacher, and I was launching writer’s notebooks with my students for the first time. I stumbled across a TWT post through (smart) luck via Google, and discovered a gold mine.
Right away, I recognized Two Writing Teachers Blog as a place for teachers who love teaching writers as much as I love teaching writers. As a place for teachers who ARE writers. What a difference that makes!
Over time, I stopped Googling, and I started going straight to Two Writing Teachers when I was seeking strategies for writing workshop. It had become a trusted resource and source of inspiration.
When I think about why Two Writing Teachers spoke to me the way it did (and continues to do), it comes down to authenticity. The team of co-authors is made up of teachers, instructional coaches, and consultants who are teaching in writing workshops all over the country. Each team member brings unique perspective and experiences to the table. Each team member is deeply invested in the writing work happening in their classroom, building, and district. Posts resonate because they come directly out of workshops with kids.
And yet. . . we certainly do not represent all perspectives and experiences. Far from it.
Because the team at Two Writing Teachers values unique perspectives, we are seeking new voices to amplify on this platform.
So. . . (and surely, you saw this coming),
I’m going to challenge you to think about what you have to offer the TWT community, as someone teaching and learning in a writing workshop. What insight, strategy, or nugget might you share that could be just the a-ha a fellow teacher of writers needs right now?
This isn’t about being the perfect writing teacher; it’s about sharing what we’re learning while engaged in writing work with kids.
- What are you wrestling with?
- What have you started to figure out?
- What is a celebration you want to shout from the rooftops?
- What is pushing your thinking (and might push the thinking of others)?
I didn’t become a reader of TWT Blog because co-authors promised to have all the answers. I became a loyal reader because I value learning from and beside other teacher-writers invested in building the most impactful writing workshops possible for our young writers.
We are a community, and we’re working together to figure it out.
Never is this community more energized than during the month of March, when the Slice of Life Story Challenge brings us together for 31 days. It is the perfect time to extend another invitation to everyone—yes, everyone—to consider sharing your practice as part of our Voices From the Community initiative.
For more background on how this initiative connects to the mission and longer term goals of Two Writing Teachers, please check out Kathleen’s post from this past August. She does a beautiful job describing what the team is looking for and why. Below is the bullet point summary, but then I really encourage you to read Kathleen’s post.
Guidelines for Submitting a Voices From the Community Post:
- Writing workshop is at the core of Two Writing Teachers Blog, so all posts should reflect a workshop stance.
- Posts should be under 1000 words.
- Posts need to be original material, not published on other sites (including your own).
- We’re seeking posts in six specific categories. Kathleen’s slideshow describes these categories in detail.
- When you are ready to submit your post, please do so via this Google form.
If you’re curious about Voices From the Community posts that have been published this year:
- Providing Tools for Writing and Sharing Writing Through the Pandemic by Janet Ahn
- I Write Therefore I am: Using Mentor Texts to Study Identity in Writing Workshop by Logan Beth Fisher
- Composing, Collaborating, Conferring, Conversing: Keeping an Eye on Student Writing During Remote Instruction by Jen Serravallo
- Becoming Writers Together: The Joyful Writing Club by Krista Senatore
Closing Thoughts
Many years ago, when I first discovered Two Writing Teachers Blog as a second grade teacher, desperate to learn the best ways to introduce writer’s notebooks, I never would have imagined that one day I would be a co-author at TWT.
I am so appreciative of all that I have learned (and continue to learn) collaborating as a part of this team and this community. I am thankful that I took a risk two years ago and raised my voice.
I want to continue refining my practice and my craft, and that means—selfishly—I need to make sure I seek out and listen to perspectives that are different from my own. (We all do.) Your voice might be just the one I need to hear to make a shift I need to make.
Contributing your voice to the community through a guest post might sound scary. . . but it is also empowering. The TWT team will support you, and it will feel amazing to see your carefully crafted words in print—being read by a large, authentic audience.
Your voice matters, your experiences in writing workshop with kids matter, and our community will be stronger when we can lift your voice up and share it with the world.
Please understand we reserve the right to publish posts we feel best fit the needs of our community. Not every submission will be published. We anticipate responding to you within a week’s time. If you have further questions or concerns, you can reach out via email at mrs.sokolowski@gmail.com. Thank you for your willingness to share your passion and expertise on teaching writing. We look forward to reading your ideas!
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 