Sequence 1 Wrap Up | WritingwithMachines

It has been such a pleasure working with all of you this semester. I really have enjoyed learning about what you do in your classrooms. I feel honored that you shared this with me.

After reading over my posts, I really have realized how much I miss interacting with my colleagues and talking/reading/writing/thinking about teaching. For the last five years, I have really just focused on being in the classroom with my students, which I love, but I see how most of my writing has been directed to my students. I really want to work on my writing–with and for– my fellow/sister teachers.

For example, my writing sounds like giving directions to students and/or my about experiences in the classroom. Which is fine, but I need to get back to writing about the theories which have always informed my teaching. Theories that have become so part of what I do (Freire for example, theories about creating real writing situations, the benefits of making student writing “public,” and my MOST favorite–using mentor texts in the classroom to teach writing strategies that real, published writers use).

This makes me start going to conferences again and thinking of writing for publication.

I realize that despite my love for working with my students, I really also love working with other teachers.

Thank you for waking this part of me up!

Kind regards,

Cara Owens

May your grading be swift and your summer long and leisurely.