Writing for an audience isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about engaging in a community of thinkers and learning from the process.
Author: megankortlandt
Writing IS Professional Learning
When I started blogging for Moving Writers, I wrote mostly about my practice in the classroom. Since my role has shifted away from the classroom and toward supporting teachers, I spend a lot more time working on my own practice for adult learning. So most of what I blog about lately is about professional learning […]
#NCTE19: Join us to problem-solve the practice of writing workshop!
When I first moved from teaching middle school to teaching high school, I brought my workshop practice with me. At first, I was worried that this type of instruction wouldn’t meet the needs of my high school students, but it didn’t take me very long to realize that it was exactly what they needed. And […]
Directing Thinking Traffic: A Protocol for Professional Learning
Whether I’m facilitating professional learning around mentor texts, grammar in context, or book clubs, something that has been especially impactful is sharing in classroom observations together. Whether we’re watching videos of ourselves, others, or we’re stepping into classrooms in real time, observations give us a chance to see the work in action, to breathe life […]
Mapping Our Writing Identities
I’ve decided that structuring professional learning that supports teachers with strategies they can take back to the classroom just isn’t enough. I need to also build teachers’ own efficacy and identity as a writer.
Moving Writers’ Top Ten: What LEGO bricks and Writing Intervention Have in Common
As is our habit, we are taking the summer away from the blog to read, write, and recharge. We’ll be back in late August with new content, but for the summer, let’s take a journey down memory lane as we visit our ten most-read posts from the previous school year! “You have to learn the […]
Teachers, Leaders, and Administrators: A Balancing Act
In my last post, I wrote about trying to balance the role of coach and consultant in my role. It’s one that’s inherent for anyone in a leadership role. How do you know when to offer your own thinking vs. when to step back to support as someone else wrestles with theirs? It’s a tricky […]
Navigating Vulnerability Part 3: The Coach and Consultant Balance
This semester, I’ve been writing a series of posts about the role of vulnerability in coaching. The idea is, if we’re not aware of the underlying vulnerabilities in our conversations and our practice, we’re not going to be able to grow. So far, I’ve written about two different vulnerabilities that I’ve recognized in teachers and […]
Navigating Vulnerability Part 2: De-Centering the Teacher
When we take on coaching or other leadership roles, we aren’t going to get anywhere with those we’re leading unless we recognize the vulnerabilities they’re facing. Last month, I started a mini-series of posts on this idea. Each post in the series will tackle a different vulnerability by exploring: How to recognize the vulnerability in […]
Navigating Vulnerability Part 1: Content-Related Skills
Anyone who takes on a coaching role likely finds themselves navigating the deep waters of vulnerability several times a day. It’s tricky and oftentimes uncomfortable. Vulnerability can manifest itself in many different ways. We’re all learners, and we’re all human, after all. Some of us shrink back; others get defensive. Sometimes, as a coach, I’m […]
