Teachers Who Write or Writers Who Teach: Finding My Identity
Have you ever…
…felt like all teachers were identical inside, differing only by their looks.
…wanted to take the script for a class and rip it to shreds.
…had the thought you’ve been in this professional development seminar a few hundred times before.
Join us in this blog to discover how to regain your lost identity and keep it!
Hi, my name is John Hitchcock, and welcome to my blog on which we will discuss anything having to do with writing, teaching, learning and education in general. Well, maybe golf…or politics…or just about anything that takes my mind.
I invite you to participate. There’s only one rule, and it’s the same one I used instead of a long list of rules for discipline, which I could never remember anyway?
BE POLITE. That’s it. Solves most problems right off the bat.
Finding My Identity
Lately I’ve been trying to assess whether I am a teacher who writes or a writer who teaches.
Interestingly, a third option seems to have emerged. The concept of learning definitly takes precedence over both teaching and writing. It seems obvious after mulling it over for a while, but for quite some time I didn’t see the power of the relationship.
There is so much learning in teaching. Learning the fundamentals of your subject matter is a given. If you don’t know the nuances of a quadratic equation or the characteristic of an iambic parameter, you might not be suited for math or English as a career.
College: Chaos and Coddling
Some colleges still do an excellent job in teaching the solidarity of various courses. Students are expected to perform and reach certain standards guaranteeing the student really knows something when they graduate. A business student is trusted to know how to keep you business on the right track or a doctor can give confidence he’s doing more than guessing.
Confidence in many colleges is waning as students have safe rooms as a retreat for being “looked at in a supposed micro-aggression” way. Then there’s the issue of issuing equity based grades (whatever that means) meaning merit seems to be disappearing.
But that is now, merit was then!
College can teach you those things, but the more subtle activities happening in a classroom can only be learned by experience. Of course common disciplinary activities like walking around the classroom or an interesting class-starter can be taught by an education professor.
What can’t be taught before entering the door of education are things like noticing extreme tiredness on only Monday mornings which could be an indicator of video games all weekend, or even worse, a drug journey over Saturday and Sunday.
The Cathartic Power of Writing
Even if you teach many years, such events never seem to lessen. Now we have gender issues, bullying, and perhaps hidden abuse at home or school.
How WOULD you handle it if a student confided in you about abuse from a colleague?
Each day is a learning experience. New technologies, new pronouns to deal with, new drugs, even lowering standards creating dichotomy in how to challenge the brilliant kid.
What is the protocol for handling the “math is racist” for his failing grade on a test?
Throughout my years teaching several teachers, after hearing their stories, I’ve heard them say, “I should write a book.”
And they should!
As you face some of the weirdness that you need to face in today’s education culture, it’s can be very cathartic to put your thoughts on paper. And even add some excitement as you actually put your thoughts out for public inspection.
Serious Story Starters
Most teachers are creative people. The question of what to write about can be answered as we observe students, other teachers, parents and principals. Whether you want to write non-fiction or fantasy fiction, your school is replete with interesting story starters.
Their stories run the gamut from bold to courageous and sometimes tear-inducing.
Teachers are common people, but with unique stories. Ranging from their interactions with students or colleagues, even boards of education or, in some cases, the Federal government.
I’ve been wondering if it is a starting point for a short story when a girl in my class came in with the following.
“Mr. H. You ain’t gonna believe what my Pa did last night!” was her greeting as she could hardly hold back the story.
“After supper, me and my brother was have’n and argument about what TV program to watch. Pa told us to quiet down, but we didn’t. He went into the bedroom and came out with his 12-gauge. Pumped it… then filled the TV with five slugs!” she exclaimed.
“Then he said, ‘There! Ain’t gonna argue ’bout TV no more!”
I often wonder where it would end if I started that scene for a short story!
Reasons for not writing your book
1. I don’t have time.
2. I’m not a writer.
3. I don’t know how.
4. No one would read it.
5. It wouldn’t be interesting.
If those “reasons” can be solved. You can find the time. It might take you a few years, but a little amount written three times a week can get it done.
Teachers who journal may already have their book mostly written. When you assign your students a paper why not join them in writing your own. Who knows, in a bit of time you can have several chapters written.
Spelling and grammar may be your weakness. Most writing programs have spell check and even grammar suggestions inherent in them. For instance, Word has remarkably improved their grammar in the last few years, but there are also programs like Grammarly which are more sophisticated, almost like having a professional writer or college professor looking over your shoulder.
Imagination is your superpower
Most teachers have great imaginations. It’s a necessity when you are dealing with that many individuals in your classes! Just to keep sanity, you sometimes find yourself imagining what those students may grow up to be.
Perhaps that’s your book.Or perhaps conflict resolution could be the spark that ignites the plot for a good education focused novel.
Are you beginning to see that your career opens up some great opportunities for you to become a writer. Whether it’s excitement, frustration, adventure, imagination, or intrigue, you can unleash your creativity and write that book you’ve been thinking about.
If potential rejection by a publisher isn’t something you want to deal with there are multiple ways you can publish your book with absolutely no fear of rejection and for zero cost!
Companies like Amazon, Lulu and Draft2Digital are simple to use and totally free.
Writing an eBook is the ultimate easy starting point then your eBook can easily be converted into a paperback, hard cover, even an audiobook. In fact, I have put together a handy course on How to Write Your Own eBook which takes you step by step in the process of putting your ideas on paper.
It’s totally free and available for download as a PDF immediately.
Is it hard work?
Yes, but anything worth doing generally has some degree of energy to get it done. But it’s also enjoyable and rewarding.
Oh, sounds similar to teaching, doesn’t it?
So are you a teacher who wants to become a writer, or a writer who looks at teaching with optimism? Either way, it’s easy to combine them into a life-changing outlook on life!