Should writing teachers write?
This morning I read the debate published in English Teacher in 1990-1991 on whether English teachers in high school should write or not. Karen Jost’s articles are remarkably well written for a teacher so adamantly against teacher writing. I enjoyed the debate and particularly enjoyed the variety of texts in the round table discussion.
I believe that I would hear many responses similar to Jost’s if I were to ask teachers in my school to write as part of their compulsory PD. It seems that writing as a means of professional self exploration and growth isn’t suited to all teachers.
If I am convinced of teacher-writing benefits, which are the best ways to expose teachers to the experience and its worth? Maybe the narratives on my personal road to writing will convince someone? Who knows?
Jost, K. (1990). Why high-school writing teachers should not write. English Journal, 79(3), 65-66. Retrieved from http://links.jstor.org
Jost, K. (1990). Why high-school writing teachers should not write, revisited. English Journal, 79(5), 32-33. Retrieved from http://links.jstor.org
BFN, McAuliffe, B., Jellum, S. R., Dyke, T., Hopton, T., Elliot, A. W., et al. (1991). Should writing teachers write? The conversation continues. English Journal, 80(3), 78-83. Retrieved from http://links.jstor.org
