Inspired to Become a Teacher Who Writes by Jennifer Laffin

Have you been bitten by the writing bug yet?

I remembered when I was. It was the summer of 2011. I had just started the National Writing Project's Summer Institute at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Before becoming a part of the NWP, I had toyed around with writing. But I never took it seriously.  That all changed that summer.

Working with the NWP and the 13 other teachers who were in the institute with me, I began to learn how important it was for me -- a teacher -- to also write. We had dedicated writing time every day. We learned how to give each other feedback. We taught writing lessons and learned from each other. We dove deep into a passion project about writing instruction. It's where I learned that teachers who write make the best teachers of writing. Period.

When the three weeks with the institute were over, I continued growing my writing life. I began blogging more, writing professionally, and teaching others about writing. I kept researching best practices for teaching writing and each time, the idea of the writing teacher also being a writer came up. I am such a firm believer in this that I started my own company -- Teach Write -- to help teachers and their students grow their writing lives.

That summer working with the NWP changed my life and it can change yours too. Whether or not you have an active writing life, I encourage you to seek out an NWP Invitational Institute near you.

The inspiration is endless.

What inspires you? The #TeachWrite Chat blog wants to know!

Our February theme is Staying Inspired to Write and we are currently seeking posts for publication that are related to our theme.

• How are you continuing your work towards meeting your 2018 writing goals?
• What inspired you to become a teacher-writer?
• What tools do you use to keep moving forward on your goals?
• Why are your writing goals still important to you? Have you adjusted your goals? Created new ones?
• What are some of your earliest memories of your writing life that still motivate you today?
• How do you stay motivated to write?
• Do you have a One Little Word for Writing? If so, what is it and how does it continue to help?
• How do you measure your writing progress?
• What are some affirmations/positive quotes that keep you inspired?

Is it time for you take the leap and share your thoughts here? If so, please fill out this form and we will be in touch with more information soon.

Jennifer Laffin is a teacher of teachers, the owner of Teach Write LLC, and a co-moderator of the #TeachWrite Twitter Chat. She is committed to helping teachers and their students grow as writers because she has seen how writing can transform you both personally and professionally. You can find her learning with others on Twitter at @laffinteach and @TeachWriteEDU or at www.teachwrite.org.