Why I Write

I tend to ignore brief time periods devoted to something that should be deeply woven into the fabric of life and learning—as if observing Black History Month, Spiritual Life Emphasis Week, or World Thinking Day absolves me from thinking about the topic for the other 11 months, 51 weeks, or 364 days of the year. When I realized that October 20 was National Day on Writing, with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) using the hashtag #WhyIWrite, my first thought was to ignore it. 

However, as I continued to see the hashtag, the thought occurred to me that I have blogged frequently about reasons for reading, but only a handful of times about reasons for writing—and mostly it was specifically about writing this blog. So thanks to some prodding from NCTE and the National Day on Writing for bringing this blindspot to light. Isn’t that, after all, what dedicated time periods are for? (Getting real here—I never object to my husband celebrating Valentine’s Day or my children Mother’s Day.)

As an English language arts teacher, it’s my job to value writing. But why? Why should anyone else value it? Do I actually use it in “real life”? Yes. I write many times every day for personal and professional reasons, to explore what I’m thinking and to share it with others, to transact information and to build relationships. 

So here’s the question: Why do I write?

1. To excavate what I think and feel and believe
2. To capture, consider, and internalize powerful writing and thinking
3. To reflect on my teaching practice and life (and hold myself accountable to practice and notice things worthy of reflection)
4. To articulate my thinking in concise, effective ways
5. To connect with others and build community: sharing, modeling, encouraging, inquiring, inviting
6. To remember: shopping lists, calendar items, project plans
7. To transact information: from what is my insurance coverage to why didn't my package arrive on time
8. To embody the identity I want to induct my students into: writer. If writing is vitally important to me personally and professionally, if I am routinely grappling with the issues and wielding the tools of a writer, and if I can articulate and model these—the importance of writing and the practices of writers—that changes everything in the teaching of writing. 

 

I realize that a lot of that list is abstract. Concretely, what does writing look like for me? What do I write?

1. Journals: Powerful quotes, beautiful words, thinking through a problem, strong emotion, or puzzling response (see blogs on gratitude and death) 
2. Blogs: Accountability for myself to reflective teaching practice, connect with like-minded peers, curate my thinking 
3. Emails: Too many to elucidate them all, from sibling news to school to insurance inquiries
4. Social media posts: Twitter, for me, is entirely professional networking—I comment on a resource I’m sharing or retweeting or participate in a Twitter chat. On Facebook, on the other hand, I write both personal and professional posts, on my timeline and in private groups.
5. Goodreads reviews: to connect with friends and model for students.
6. Proposals: for curriculum, schoolwide initiatives like sustained silent reading, professional development credits
7. Recommendations: college recommendations for students, job recommendations for colleagues
8. Letters: yes, actual ink on paper, put into an envelope, and depending on the distance, stamped and mailed (birthday cards, congratulations, thank yous, appreciation, sympathy)
9. Plans and materials: for students (class lessons) and for colleagues (professional development meetings)
10. Reports: like accreditation
11. Responses to student work: their writing, reflection, questions—both electronically and on hard copies
12. Poetry: not as frequently at this point in my life as at others, but, yes, sometimes (see here and here)

I don’t value writing because I’m an English teacher—I’m an English teacher because I value writing. Because of my job and passion, I probably write a little more than the average person. Still, for anyone, writing can enrich the inner life, facilitate the professional life, and strengthen the social life. Some of your reasons and specifics may be the same as mine, and some will be different. What and why do you write?