Professional Writing 2

Chapter 14 of Teaching English, How To…. By Raymond Stopper (Xlibris, 2004).

Question: why should teachers of writing also write?

Answer: I think that anyone who teaches writing should also write. At the very least, completing the students’ assignments can help the teacher anticipate difficulties with the assignment. On the other hand, I read recently the comments of a teacher who said he does not have time to write because he teaches. That alone occupies “48 hours a day.” I share this teacher’s feelings of being overwhelmed by too much to do when one teaches. But I still think any teacher of writing must also write in order to establish a feeling of shared learning with the students. And writing for publication has been a learning experience for this teacher of writing, who remains very humble when trying to teach others to write.

Next Blog: How did publishing my first article help me learn how to write?