We've Been Given a Voice by Amy E. Casey

Writing is a way to pay attention to your own thoughts. It’s a way to memorialize the otherwise ephemeral small beauties, tangled outcries, and glowing connections of our human existence. Writing matters. I tell my students, “You have been given a voice, so use it.” Words can change how we think. Words can change the very courses of our lives. I believe this; therefore, I write. By being a teacher writer, I hope to show my students how valuable writing can be for them.

Some of my writing, especially that which contributes to my profession, is very public. This writing might be a post for my blog or an article in a professional journal. I try to reach a wide audience because I have things to share that I hope will benefit my professional community. My motivation here is to engage positively and give back, to keep energy buzzing in my ever-growing digital network of fellow teachers.

But writing doesn’t have to be public to be valuable, and that’s something that I always tell students as well. Sometimes the value of writing is deeply personal—we write to figure out problems, to express ourselves creatively, to memorialize our lives--indeed, some of us fill pages because we need to do it to stay sane. This more secret form of writing practice cultivates insight and happiness.

For all these reasons, I am committed to a writing practice in my life. The best motivator I have found is to seek out fellow writers. That community of other teachers in your building, within your professional network, or even in the wild world of the social media landscape is filled with creativity and kindness. Find them!

Amy E. Casey is an educator, UW-Milwaukee Writing Project teacher consultant, and writer from Port Washington, Wisconsin. She currently teaches English at the high school level. Amy shares her teaching adventures, insights, and convictions each month on her education blog, www.universeastext.com.

Write for Us!

The #TeachWrite Twitter Chat Blog is dedicated to providing a space for our community to connect and share their voices about writing and teaching writing.  We are looking for guest bloggers who would like to blog on topics related to being a teacher-writer. Educators and writers of all levels are invited to join us in this space. More information can be found here.