A Summer of Transformation by Erica Johnson

Summertime for most students means “no more pencils, no more books,” but in my experience, the best summer is one that brings me more pencils and more books.  It’s time to salvage paper from the recycling bins and scavenge for discarded pens under chairs.  They come from emptied lockers, busted backpacks, and cluttered desks.  Do students not realize that supplies do not expire?

My summer writing practice is all about gaining new perspectives and fresh ideas for the coming year, but it’s also about re-examining and recycling ideas from previous years and from fellow teachers.  Twitter has definitely helped me in this regard as many of my summer plans involve utilizing social media more to develop as a writer.

I am planning on making more attempts at the #DWHabit word of the day but also pushing myself by participating in the 100 Days of Summer Writing.  My Twitter feed is quickly transforming into a digital collection of ideas to try out for myself.  With so many people railing against social media “destroying” writing, it seems fit

ting that it is what will fuel my writing practices for the summer.

Of course, I also plan on reading a lot this summer (pleasure and professional) and that isn’t even getting into the required reading.  This summer I will be reading thousands of student essays in June since I was selected to be an AP reader. So not only do I get to read what other students write about, but I also get to interact with professionals in the field.  My fellow writers and teachers.  I have a feeling that this experience, above anything else I do this summer, will inform and transform my writing practices with my students. 

If last year’s experience with the Teaching Shakespeare Institute taught me anything, it is that interacting with teachers from other places and perspectives is some of the best growth as a teacher and as a writer I can get. 

I am definitely looking forward to this summer being another transformative one for me as a writer, a reader, and a teacher.



Erica Johnson has been teaching for seven years in central Arkansas and currently works with juniors and seniors at Vilonia High School.  She spent the past summer transforming her teaching philosophy at the Teaching Shakespeare Institute in Washington, D.C.  When she isn’t spending time with her dog, she is visiting with her family and their latest addition: her niece Ivey.  She can be found gathering all of her teaching resources on twitter @teachercap_e.