Just One Sentence by Jennifer Laffin

A lot of teachers are reluctant to say, "I am a writer."

I think this is because their definition of "writer" includes producing large quantities of words that often get published into books or professional journals.

But that is not true.

A writer is someone who writes. Period.

You don't have to write pages and pages every day to call yourself a writer. You just have to write.

And sometimes writing doesn't even involve actual writing -- thinking about story formation, noticing the world around you, and formulating ideas all counts. Those are the ingredients of writing and without them, writing wouldn't exist.

I have a daily writing habit that I began four years ago.  Every day, I spend a few moments thinking about the day's events and capture a sentence in my Sentence a Day Journal.

I write these lines in my Sentence a Day Journal because if I don't, I am likely to forget them. If I forget them, they cannot find their way into my longer writing pieces.

A Sentence a Day Journal is a great writing activity for students too. Students can look back into their journals for writing inspiration or character development ideas. An added bonus -- if you run student-led conferences or use reflection portfolios, recording a sentence a day can help students remember all they did during the school year.

Writing doesn't have to be long and drawn-out to count as writing. When you develop a regular writing habit and put words to the page, you ARE a writer.


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  @TeachWriteEDU, on Facebook, or at www.teachwrite.org.