How You Can Use Writing to Shape Your Teaching Practice

Writing has always been the way I process ideas—I often say, “I think with a pencil.” Early in my career, I wrote about my practice simply for myself as a way to keep perspective, capture new ideas, remember everything I needed to do, work through new challenges, and sometimes calm myself down when I felt overwhelmed. Around seven years ago, I decided to take a step outside of my comfort zone and work toward sharing my writing and ideas with a wider audience of educators. That decision turned out to be one of the most transformative of my career.

Writing with the purpose of sharing with a broad audience of educators has made me more reflective, motivated me to improve my practice, and pushed me to critically analyze my choices as both a teacher and an administrator. It has also built my confidence and helped me feel part of a larger professional community. Over time, I’ve realized that teachers who write, for themselves or others, discover powerful opportunities for reflection and connection.

Writing to Reflect

Writing has the power to slow down thinking, encourage writers to process information, and help writers formulate new ideas. In a profession that can feel like a never-ending list of tasks combined with consistent quick decision-making and human interaction, pausing to write helps me notice details I would likely miss otherwise. Reflection through writing allows me to ask why, separate my feelings from facts, and see my practice reflected back to me. I’ll do this free writing reflection for a few minutes up to 30 minutes. When I write about something that I did in the classroom or how I handled a leadership situation, I often start with writing out exactly what happened. Sometimes, upon rereading that, I brainstorm new ideas and/or realize that I had a great idea.

Reflections can include traditional journaling, but I often find that short, informal writing is more effective and reasonable based on the time I have to commit to it. I find that lists, sketches with short notes, digital entries typed on whatever device is closest, and notebooks filled with phrases and ideas work well for me. The format is really up to you. The habit of giving yourself space to capture and process ideas can be inspiring.

For me, reflective writing is how I brainstorm new ideas without sure to have complete thoughts of solutions. It allows me to experiment with ideas and record specific moments that feel significant to me. Sometimes, I have several pages of writing that I never share and don’t turn into anything more than my thoughts on a page. This process alone strengthens my practice and often leads to other published writing or improves my current practice. Giving myself freedom to write without pressure—the only criterion is that I am honest with myself—opens up new possibilities.

Writing to Reimagine and Revise

When I teach my students writing skills, I emphasize that revision isn’t just about fixing mistakes, it’s about reimagining their ideas and building with words. I’ve discovered the same truth in my own writing. Revision is both humbling and magical. Each time I revisit an idea in writing, I see some part of it differently. Sometimes, a draft helps me think through a situation or solve a problem, and it isn’t a piece of writing that needs the writing process. It’s actually more about the thinking process that goes into the writing. Other times, revision helps me see new possibilities for a lesson or sparks how I approach leadership opportunities.

Consistently writing and revising has helped me grow as a teacher and become more comfortable with changing my mind and being open to new ideas (that I generate myself or that come to me from others who engage with me based on writing). It makes me more flexible in all aspects of my life because there’s nothing like revising a draft to remind me that just like teaching, writing is never going to be perfect, and I don’t need perfect, I’m just working on progress.

Writing to Connect

While reflection and revision can be personal, sharing your writing with even one person creates the opportunity for connection. Writing for an audience energizes me because I’m able to share my own ideas in a way that will help others. Whether my writing is inspired by issues that I’m working through (articles that encourage middle-grade teachers to read to their students) or is meant to support my colleagues (emailing my teaching team with ideas for lessons, objectives, and new ideas), writing in this way also invites dialogue, feedback, and collaboration.

When I write with the goal of publishing or even simply sharing with colleagues, I’m more critical of my own ideas. I find gaps I haven’t noticed and create questions that push me to think and rethink my ideas.

Sharing our writing builds community. By putting our ideas in words and then offering those words to others, we create opportunities to learn, support each other, and improve. Each piece of writing that is shared contributes to the writer’s and the reader’s growth.

There Isn’t One Right Way to Write

Find a format. You can write in a notebook with a pencil, type on a traditional computer keyboard, draw sketches, use your thumbs to craft a note on a phone, do voice to text, or employ any way that works best for you to get your ideas on a page. Try different methods to see what works best for you. There isn’t one right way to write.

Take away the pressure. Find a place to write that’s just for you. Write anything and everything without worrying about the audience or if there will be an audience. Don’t think about it being good or bad—simply put your ideas on paper.

Revisit, revise, but don’t delete. Look back at previous writing with a fresh perspective. Consider what new ideas you have since you wrote it, and expand on it, change it, share it, but don’t delete it. Your ideas are worth keeping.

Talk it out. Share ideas with a friend or colleague to clarify your thinking and get instant feedback before you begin the writing process. You can also do this in the middle of writing or as part of your revision.

Find a moment. Pick one powerful, interesting, funny, or emotional moment and write it down. Create a memory with words or pictures.

Read. If your goal is publication, read widely from the genre that you’re interested in writing about.

Share. Start by sharing your writing with colleagues or your favorite online platform. Submit work for publication, and if it isn’t published, revise, resubmit, find another audience. Keep writing.

There’s only one thing required to be a writer: Write.