Sharing the Pen by Leigh Anne Eck

Our mission here at #TeachWrite Chat Blog is to build a community for teachers who write. I will admit, when Jennifer, Michelle, Margaret, and I started this endeavor, we had no idea where it would take us. We started out with the idea of a chat.  Our first month was such a success, we knew we were filling a void for teacher-writers.

We then added the blog, in hopes of writing posts on a some-what regular basis. As we continued throwing that idea around, we began wondering if other teachers would be interested in writing for the blog.

Guess what?  We began filling another need - that need to belong to a community of teacher-writers. We know other outlets exist for teachers who want and need ideas to teach writing in their classrooms.  But the #TeachWrite community mission is different. We find that teachers need to talk and share about their own writing lives. Teachers want the support from others who are trying to write blog posts and articles and poems and even books.

Giving teachers the space to explore their writing voice, to find the courage to put their words on a page for others to read, and to belong to a community of like-minded people is the goal of #TeachWrite.

Last week on Twitter, I tweeted out the link to sign up to be a guest writer. Marisol Cantero @bilingual_coach, tweeted this reply.

This is what #TeachWrite is all about.  We are honored to share the pen and this space and to build this community with all of you. We encourage you to share your pen by reading and commenting on the posts from our guest bloggers. It is through these comments and knowing that someone has read our words and has made a connection that builds a true community of writers.

Let us continue to share the pen.


Leigh Anne just started her 11th year of teaching.  She has taught 4th, 5th and currently teaches 6th grade ELA at a middle school in Indiana.  She is currently working on her Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Western Governors University with a goal of becoming a literacy coach.  Leigh Anne has a passion for connecting kids with books and helping teachers develop a writing life.  You can connect with her on Twitter @Teachr4 or find her slicing for the month of March on her blog, A Day in the Life.