Two Communities Every Writing Teacher Needs by Jen Greene

The writing community is essential to any successful writer: we need a group to which we can belong. We need our tribe of fellow writers to help us grow.  As writing teachers and teacher-writers, the two most important communities we need to belong to are the collegial and the classroom.

COLLEGIAL COMMUNITY
These are your people.  Your tribe. These are the friends who get it because they’re doing it too. It’s so important to find them.  They might exist through in-person meetings or through virtual forums. 

My ‘face to face’ community group is the PA Writing and Literature Project (PAWLP):  We meet once a month to share our writing- personal projects, professional pieces, student work.  The community gives each other support and feedback.  There is a sense of safety and comfort in sharing, which every writer needs. 

Look into your local writing project affiliate or join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) to find a critique group in your area.

Online, there are fabulous resources such as TeachWrite and SCBWI Facebook groups that hold you accountable for writing, help keep you on track, and give you endless ideas.  Reach out to people via Twitter.  The feedback and support you can find from all over the globe is inspiring.


CLASSROOM COMMUNITY
The best way to build a community of writers in your classroom is to be one of them. When your kids write, you write.  Share your writing with your students.  Show them your frustrations and struggles with writing so they know they aren’t alone.  Create an environment where students can speak to each other and ask for advice.  Celebrate writing.  I am amazed at the feedback I get from my students, even at seven years old. 

Find the community that will help you achieve your goals and grow your writing. 

Your tribe is out there! 



Jen Greene is an elementary school teacher in the West Chester Area School District in West Chester, PA.  She is a fellow with the PA Writing and Literature Project (PAWLP) and a doctoral student at Widener University.  You can find her on Twitter @GreeneMachine82.