"We learn to write by teaching."

I’m not sure who said this, but the first time that I heard it, I knew that it was true. As a writer for kids and a teacher of kids, my greatest growth as a writer has always come in the classroom.

Through the process of journaling and a daily writers’ workshop, I taught my students to write, and they, in turn, taught me to write. Each day was a day of discovery as we became a community of learners through our writing.

Before retiring, I had the joy of teaching all grades Kindergarten - Sixth grade, in a variety of roles in three separate school districts. I served as an elementary classroom teacher (kindergarten, first, second, and third grade), a writing teacher (fifth and sixth grade), a library media specialist (kindergarten - fifth grade), and a literacy coach (3rd and 4th grade). I taught students how write, I taught teachers how to teach writing, and all of them taught me how to write and teach writing.

I am retired from the classroom now, but not from teaching. I still teach online classes to writers and teachers, sharing my ideas and enthusiasm about writing and the writing process with teachers and writers alike. The goal of this Substack publication is to provide teachers with the tools they need to teach writing the way writers write, as I continue my own writing journey. If you have ideas for posts or suggestions for topics, please feel free to contact me!