Teachers Who Write is a concept that's been in the works for some time. I've been fumbling about with resources and design for months but here was no timetable so I didn't feel particularly motivated to get anything out.
Then I read a lead story on NPR that changed my sense of urgency. Kentucky's Teacher of the Year decided to quit. Not because of COVID or moving online or...well...everything 2020. She decided to leave to attend to her addiction to alcohol.
Now some teachers might read this story and feel sadness at her situation or even relief that they themselves have not struggled with alcohol. I'm sure there's plenty of judgement around it too.
We've all heard stories like hers even before this dreadful year but they were largely isolated cases that, we thought, didn't play too prominently into our work in the field.
Wow were we wrong. Alcohol has become a prevalent part of life for many teachers in recent years. It's even showing up in our PD schedules. Now, this isn't a post designed to lecture anyone on the pros and cons of alcohol. It's an inherent part of our culture that isn't likely going away anytime soon. Besides, we all have ways of soothing the many wounds inflicted by the work we do. This can range from healthier habits like yoga and meditation to those that serve us a little less like binge eating or incessant gossip.
Instead, I'd like to offer an outlet you may not have considered before: becoming a writer.
Is Fiction your Lifeline?
Of course, most teachers are decent writers and it's a regular part of our work. But the focus of that writing is always external. Students, policies, curriculum. It seldom allows for creativity or self-reflection. Writing for yourself through journals, blogs, poetry, or novels, can be incredibly rewarding. All writing has the power to distract from things that aren't healthy but fiction has a particular magic to it. Its ability to transport us into entirely new circumstances can help us focus on someone or something else for a while, which is key to any situation that causes anxiety. For many writers, it's also a strange sort of therapy. Working through one's issues on the page is a common practice for many authors.
How do I begin?
Teachers Who Write is here to support your first steps. Here you can find resources to get started and a community of other teachers who share your interest in writing. If you want to go so far as publishing, there are some great links here too!
Not convinced yet? See this other blog post about why teachers make amazing fiction writers. And then get to work!
Commenti