Allison Marchetti + Rebekah O’Dell founded Moving Writers in 2013 with the mission of providing ideas and resources for writing teachers that would move student writers forward. Together, they have written three books (Writing With Mentors, Beyond Literary Analysis, and A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts). When they are not teaching in their own classrooms, they are traveling the country to work with teachers on simplifying, streamlining, and amplifying authentic writing instruction. You can connect with them on Twitter @AllisonMarchett, @RebekahODell1, or @movingwriters. You can also email them at movingwriters@gmail.com.
Xochitl Bentley teaches 11th and 12th grade ELA at Cleveland High School in Reseda, California. She is a Teacher Leader with the Cal State Northridge Writing Project. In 2017, she was chosen to participate in the Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for Education for Sustainable Development. She is passionate about active environmental stewardship and environmental justice. You can connect with her via Twitter @dispatches_b222 or via email at xochitl.bentley@lausd.net.
Kenneth Bui teaches AP English Language and Composition and English 11 at Central Bucks High School South (his alma mater) in Warrington, Pennsylvania. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education at Penn State University and received his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Delaware Valley University. You can find him on Twitter @kenbuiCBSD or contact him via email (kenbui@cbsd.org).
David Lee Finkle has been teaching in Florida for 28 years, and for 20 of those years he’s been drawing a comic strip about teaching, Mr. Fitz, for local newspapers and his website (www.mrfitz.com). He currently teaches 9th grade English and Creative Writing, and is the author of two professional books for Scholastic. David dabbles in many genres of writing. In the summer he teaches fiction writing and cartooning at Stetson University’s HATS Program for gifted students. He acts in local theaters with his wife Andrea (or did when theaters were open), and enjoys bicycling, reading, and napping.
Sam Futrell is a middle school social studies teacher in Richmond, Virginia, and a board member of the Virginia Council for the Social Studies (VCSS). She joined VCSS after winning the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Excellence in Teaching Award. Since that time she’s served as the co-chair of both the Outreach and Equity committees and moderates the quarterly VCSS Scholars’ Hour (a free professional development opportunity for teachers). Sam also hosts and produces the VCSS podcast, Content to Classroom, which can be found anywhere you listen to podcasts. She’s excited to be the newest member of the Moving Writers team and is looking forward to discussing strategies for how to bring writing workshop into social studies classrooms.
Stefanie Jochman teaches freshman and IB English at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, VA. She is also a member of the Folger Shakespeare Library National Teacher Corps. Stefanie earned her B.A. in English and Secondary Education from St. Norbert College and her M.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
You can connect with her via Twitter @MsJochman
Megan Kortlandt is a reader, writer, and a total nerd about facilitating adult learning. She works as a Literacy Consultant at Oakland Schools, an Intermediate School District in southeastern Michigan. In this role, Megan supports teachers, coaches, and administrators in their practice and their literacy goals. She also co-coordinates the Job-Embedded Professional Learning Network, where instructional leaders across the region come together to learn about facilitating professional learning. She is excited to share a book she co-authored about leading professional learning to help principals and other instructional leaders better support the teachers in their building: Principal Labs: Strengthening Instructional Leadership Through Shared Learning, available from ASCD and Amazon.
Abigail Lund is a Pre-K-5th grade educator in Cincinnati, Ohio. She earned her BA at Judson University in Chicago-land and her Masters in Teaching at Miami University through the Ohio Writing Project. She is a teacher-leader at the National Writing Project helping with #Writeout. She has a passion for integrating writing and reading into all contents. She loves coffee about as much as her husband and her 2 little boys… and is a self-proclaimed lifetime learner. Catch up with daily happenings and ramblings on Twitter & Instagram @mrsablund or via email Abigaillund90@gmail.com.
Aishwarya M. is a middle school teacher in Pune, India. Currently, she teaches language and literacy to 8th graders while also providing remediation and additional academic support to ELLs with learning difficulties and disabilities.
Reading Nancie Atwell and Donald Graves helped her find her voice as a teacher. She continues to rediscover her voice as she helps her students find theirs in the writing workshop.
You can find her on twitter @teachingtenets on her blog at teachingtenets.wordpress.com.
Hattie Maguire teaches AP English Language and Composition and English 10 at Novi High School in southeast Michigan. Prior to Novi, she taught English and Spanish at Southfield Lathrup High School and The American Community Schools of Athens, Greece. She is a National Board Certified Teacher who earned her BS in English and MA in Curriculum and Teaching from Michigan State University. You can connect with her via email at hattie.maguire@novik12.org or Twitter @TeacherHattie
Jay Nickerson currently teaches Grade 9 through 12 English at Gimli High school in Gimli, Manitoba. Jay previously taught English 9-12, Art and History at Arborg Collegiate Institute in Arborg, Manitoba. Jay is one of the last graduates of the Nova Scotia Teachers College. You can connect with him via email at nickerj@mts.net or Twitter @doodlinmunkyboy.
Paige Timmerman teaches 9th and 12th grade English at Salem Community High School in Salem, Illinois. She earned her undergraduate degree in English education at Western Illinois University and her graduate degree in English and American literature at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. You can reach out to her on Twitter @pbrink12 or via email at timmermanp@salemhigh.com.
Noah Waspe teaches 3rd and 4th grade ELA at Claren Academy in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also produces the Write Answers podcast for the Ohio Writing Project. Noah leads PD around the workshop approach, inquiry work, and student collaboration. He earned his BA in Education from the University of Cincinnati and his Master of Arts in Teaching through the Ohio Writing Project at Miami University. Connect with Noah via email at noah.waspe@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter @MrWteach.
Brett Vogelsinger teaches 9th grade English at Holicong Middle School in Doylestown, PA. He begins class with a “Poem of the Day” routine and curates and annual blogging project called Go Poems, encouraging other teachers to try this routine during National Poetry Month. Brett enjoys keeping an active writer’s notebook alongside his students, gardening, and advising his school’s literary magazine. You can contact Brett at @theVogelman on Twitter or via bvogelsinger@cbsd.org.
Michael Ziegler currently teaches English 11 and works as an MTSS Academic Interventionist at Novi High School in Novi, Michigan. Michael has a particular interest in curriculum development and the role of popular culture in the English classroom. He has also taught IB Theory of Knowledge and is a Content Area Leader for the district. He earned his undergraduate in English at The University of Michigan and also holds a Masters in K-12 Administration from Michigan State University. You can connect with him via email at michael.ziegler@novik12.org or on Twitter at @ZigThinks .
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