Tactics to Keep Writing Into the School Year by Georgia Parker

Summer provides a slower pace - time to recharge, gather thoughts and write without the responsibilities the school year holds.

The leisurely mornings of writing over a cup of coffee are coming to a close as we move into the beginning of a new school year with all the lesson planning, organizing, and endless meetings that September brings.

So how in the world do we keep up with our own writing and do our teacher jobs?

Here are several tactics I am implementing this school year:

I plan to wake up early every morning and workout three mornings and write two. I know there will be some mornings I need a little extra sleep, but I might as well set the bar high.

My school, like many, has a block schedule two days a week. I plan to use half of my free block period to write. This time will be on my calendar and in my planner so that it becomes like a meeting or task, like grading papers, that must be completed.

Carving out weekend time is always a challenge with errands to run and my own family to tend to; however, if I look at each weekend individually, I think I should be able to schedule two hours of writing time - just like I sneak in a yoga class or a long walk.

Just as exercise becomes a habit that makes us physically and emotionally more fit, writing time will make us, as teachers, stronger in the classroom and fill our own creative cups.



Georgia Parker has taught English in grades 6-9 at various times in her career. She has spent the last 23 years teaching English at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, FL. For the last 20 years she has taught English 8, and in the last six years has added YA Lit. Parker is a member of NCTE and ALAN, serves as a state representative for ALAN, and has presented at numerous conferences. She is  also the Co-Director of the Trinity Prep Author Fest and is the current Diane & Michael Mayer Endowed Chair of English at Trinity Preparatory School. Find her on Twitter at @gksparker.