Writing with Authenticity, Originality, Fearlessness
I wanted to center this blog post on the idea of teachers becoming writers. My first reaction to that article was realizing that if I am going to attempt being a teacher-writer, I should probably try being a student-writer first… or a writer in general. I can count the number of times when I wrote by choice (not for an assignment) in the last year, and that is not very writer-like behavior.
Because I have not yet come around to the idea of being a writer in general, the advice Rademacher gives in his article, though thought provoking, is not applicable. It feels especially irrelevant since his assumption is that the writings made by my future teacher-writer self would be made available to the public. I think that even if I were to become a regular writer, I would not want to publish my writing on a regular basis.
I can see myself writing articles on various topics that are inspired/supported by my experiences as a teacher, but those pieces would be carefully crafted over time and would be academic in nature. The depersonalization of my writing would help me feel confident releasing it to the public, effectively avoiding the, “Don’t get yourself into trouble,” piece of Rademacher’s advice. I would make anyone referenced in my writing completely anonymous.
I am, however, grateful for the other advice given. I am always more likely to closely read shorter articles and to skim longer ones, so in the hopes of writing pieces that are actually useful and accessible I’ll try to prioritize concision. Similarly, it’s important to keep in mind the advice, “Don’t write what people want to hear,” which to me means maintaining authenticity and originality. Part of my avoiding vulnerability in writing has been to write only what I know will go over well with a reader. It’s nerve-wracking to willingingly put myself in a position to be critiqued, not necessarily with kindness, and so I am working on accepting that there is value to disagreement.
Mo Udall said, “If you can find something that everyone agrees on, it’s wrong.” So, if I say something safe enough that people can simply shrug in passive agreement to, I’m not really contributing anything worthwhile. I hope that keeping that in mind will give me the confidence I need to write pieces that are authentic and original, and that contribute something meaningful to the educational community.
Photo credit: https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/05/21/4-things-before-writing-essays/
Because I have not yet come around to the idea of being a writer in general, the advice Rademacher gives in his article, though thought provoking, is not applicable. It feels especially irrelevant since his assumption is that the writings made by my future teacher-writer self would be made available to the public. I think that even if I were to become a regular writer, I would not want to publish my writing on a regular basis.
I can see myself writing articles on various topics that are inspired/supported by my experiences as a teacher, but those pieces would be carefully crafted over time and would be academic in nature. The depersonalization of my writing would help me feel confident releasing it to the public, effectively avoiding the, “Don’t get yourself into trouble,” piece of Rademacher’s advice. I would make anyone referenced in my writing completely anonymous.
I am, however, grateful for the other advice given. I am always more likely to closely read shorter articles and to skim longer ones, so in the hopes of writing pieces that are actually useful and accessible I’ll try to prioritize concision. Similarly, it’s important to keep in mind the advice, “Don’t write what people want to hear,” which to me means maintaining authenticity and originality. Part of my avoiding vulnerability in writing has been to write only what I know will go over well with a reader. It’s nerve-wracking to willingingly put myself in a position to be critiqued, not necessarily with kindness, and so I am working on accepting that there is value to disagreement.
Mo Udall said, “If you can find something that everyone agrees on, it’s wrong.” So, if I say something safe enough that people can simply shrug in passive agreement to, I’m not really contributing anything worthwhile. I hope that keeping that in mind will give me the confidence I need to write pieces that are authentic and original, and that contribute something meaningful to the educational community.
Photo credit: https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/05/21/4-things-before-writing-essays/
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