Table Of Content

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 345 263 CS 213 330 AUTHOR Dahl, Karin L., Ed. TITLE Teacher as Writer: Entering the Professional Conversation. National Council of Teachers of INSTITUTION English, Urbana, REPORT NO ISBN-0-8141-5268-6 PUB DATE 92 NOTE 299P.; Edited with the Committee on Professional Writing Networks for Teachers and Supervisors. AVAILABLE FROM National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 Kenyon Rd., Urbana, IL 61801 (Stock No. 52686-3050; $14.95 members, $19.95 nonmembers). PUB TYPE Collected Works - General (020) -- Reports - Descriptive (141) EDRS ?RICE MFC1/PC12 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Cooperation; Elementary Secondary Education; *Faculty Publishing; Higher Education; Periodicals; *Revision (Written Composition); Teacher Role; Teachers; *Writing for Publication; Writing Skills IDENTIFIERS English Teachers; :ournal Articles; *Teacher Writers; *Teacher Writing; Writing Groups ABSTRACT This book, featuring teacher writers from all levels of education, offers consciousness-raising stories of the teachers' first steps toward authorship, advice for all aspects of the Writing process, suggestions for conducting writing groups, and a wealth of insider information on how to develop quality articles for professional journals and get them published. Included in the book are: (1) "Introduction: Old Habits, New Conversations" (K. L. Dahl); (2) "Evolving Voice" (T. Romano); (3) "A Teacher': Story of Renewal" (N. Gorrell); (4) "Writing Groups: A Personal Source of Support" (B. Van Ryder); (8) "Teacher Research: Catalyst fcx Writing" (C. L. Five); (6) "Students Teach Me What To Write" (J. Simmons); (7) "Reflections of a Teacher Writer" (V. E. Milz); (8) "Getting It Down and Sending It Out" (R. Monroe); (9) "Why Write for Publication?" C. Crowe); (10) "Professional Writing: Redefining Teaching as Learning" (R. Winters); (11) "To Read Like an Author" (A. M. Prager); (12) "Writing, Editing, and Miracles" (K. Donelson); (13) "Inside 'Language Arts': An Editor's Story of Onp Journal" (W. H. Teale); (14) "Authentic Voices for an Isolated Profession" (B. F. Nelms); (15) "An Affiliate Editor's Perspective" (A. K. Swinger); (16) "Nuts and Bolts of Writing a Manuscript" (G. E. Tompkins); (17) "Searching for Journals: A Brief Guide and 100 Sample Species (C. M. Anson and B. Maylath); (18) "Beating the Odds: Getting a Manuscript Published" (M. A. Deitrich); (19) "Confessions of a Computer Convert" (T. Kibler); (20) "Finding Voices in the Silence" (R. Casbergue and P. J. Austin); !21) "Beginnings: Effective Starting Points for Professional Writing" (E. Tway); (22) "Decisions Authors Make while Writing" (D. L. Prater); (23) "Distancing from and Revising Text" (L. M. McGee and G. E. Tompkins); (24) "Revision: The Heart of Writing" (K. M. Feathers); (25) "Rejection: Who Needs It?" (A. K. Swinger);*(26) "Wrj.ting Communities: One Historical Perspective" (M. K. Healy); (27) "A Writen:s Community: How Teachers Can Form Writing Groups" (R. K. Durst); (28) "Collaborative Writing as an Option" (J. Dillard and K. L. Dahl); and (29) "Creating Communities for Teacher Research" (14. Cochran-Smith and S. L. Lytle). (HB) se, . 3:. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS WM DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATCHN MCA & Educappere Neeserce end impmeerneer MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY EENICATIONAL RESOURCES thWORMATION CENTER tERtC1 C TP4 documeet Nee been reproduce° ea wove° Iroel The 0011tOn or orrasnizettoe oronahrog o WV+ champs ee.e Peen "ape o orlprove reproduction aueftty Poona or vou. r opuvons awed .11 Dia doc ... TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES men? cto net neceseerrly represent otScret INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)," OERi posolon of PakcY ......o,..z ...,.. N.t , . . ,, , I ENTERING THE PROFESSIONAL CONVERSATION Edited by KARIN L. DAHL ArN NCTE Committee on Professional Writing Networks for Teachers and Supervisors Karin L. Dahl, Chair, The Ohio State University, Columbus Mike Benedict, Fox Chapel Area High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Renee M. Casbergue, Tulane University, New Orleans Chris Crowe, Brigham Young University, Laie, Hawaii Margaret A. Natarella Deitrich, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee Annette Digby, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Anne Wescott Dodd, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine Karen Feathers, Wayne State Univ-rsity, Detroit, Michigan Alan M. Fraser, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio V. Nell Jones, Clovis High School, New Mexico Thelma Kibler, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces Donna Loyd, David H. Hickman High School, Columbia, Missouri Grace McEntee, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina Lea M. McGee, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Charlotte W. O'Brien, Missouri Department of Elementary and Second- ary Education, Jefferson City Doris L. Prater, University of Houston at Clear Lake Rosentene Purnell, California State University, Northridge Jay Sugarman, Runkle School, Brookline, Massachusetts Alice K. Swinger, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio Gail Tompkins, California State University, Fresno Betty Anne Van Ryder, M.L. King Elementary School, Yakima, Wash- ington Tilly Warnock, Executive Committee Liaison, University of Arizona, Tucson Teacher as Writer Entering the Professional Conversation Edited by Karin L. Dahl The Ohio State University with the Committee on Professional Writing Networks for Teachers and Supervisors National Council of Teachers of English 1111 Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801 4 .11 Kinkead, Abrahamson, Celia Genishi, Joyce NcrE Editorial Board: Richard Veidemanis, Charles Suhor, Chair, ex Louise Wetherbee Phelps, Gladys officio, Michael Spooner, ex officio. las Project Editor Michelle Sanden Joh Cover Design: Barbara Yale-Read Interior Book Design: Doug Burnett NCTE Stock Number 52686-3050 of English. All rights reserved. 1992 by the National Council of Teachers Printed in the United States of America. journals and other publications to provide It is the policy of NCTE in its and the discussion of ideas concerning the content a forum for the open Publicity accorded to any particular teaching of English and the language arts. endorsement by the Executive Committee, point of view does not imply large, except in announcements the Board of Directors, or the membership at is clearly specified. of policy, where such endorsement Cataloging-in-Publication Data Library of Congress professional conversation /edited by Karin Teacher as writer: entering the Professional Writing Networks for Teachers L. Dahl with the Committee on and Supervisors. cm. p. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8141-5268-6 authors. manuals, etc. 2. Teachers as 3. 1. AuthorshipHandbooks, publishingHandbooks, manuals, etc. I. Dahl, Teaching. 4. Educational English. Committee II. National Council of Teachers of Karin L., 1938- and Supervisors. Writing Networks for Teachers on Professional PN147.T328 1992 92-4182 808'.02'024372dc20 op Dedicated to the memory of Eileen Tway Eileen Tway served as a charter member of the Committee on Professional Writing Networks for Teachers and Supervisors, the National Council of Teachers of English. She supported the committee's early work and advocated its production of a book that would support the writing of teLzhers. For many of the contributing authors in this volume, she served as a mentor and guide. She is remembered as a teacher who shared her knowledge with others through writing and as a steadfast advocate for aspiring authors. vii Contents Foreword xi 1. Introduction: Old Habits, New Conversations Karin L. Dahl I. From the Author's Perspective 2. Evolving Voice 9 Tom Romano 3. A Teacher's Story of Renewal 19 Nancy Gorrell 4. Writing Groups: A Personal Source of Support 34 Betty Van Ryder 5. Teacher Research: Catalyst for Writing 44 Cora Lee Five 6. Students Teach Me What to Write 52 Jay Simmons 7. Reflections of a Teacher Writer 61 Vera E. Milz IL Thinking Like a Writer 8. Getting It Down and Sending It Out 69 Rick Monroe 9. Why Write for Publication? 74 Chris Crowe 10. Professional Writing: Redefining Teaching as Learning 81 Rod Winters 11. To Read Like an Author 86 Alan M. Frager III. From the Editor's Perspective 12. Writing, Editing, and Miracles 95 Ken Donelson Contents viii Editor's Story 13. Inside Language Arts: An 107 of One Journal William H. Tea le 118 Isolated Profession 14. Authentic Voices for an Ben F. Nehns 131 15. An Affiliate Editor's Perspective Alice K Swinger Writers IV. Essential Information for Teacher 137 Manuscript 16. Nuts and Bolts of Writing a Gail E. Tompkins Guide 17. Searching for Journals: A Brief 150 and 100 Sample Species Chris M. Anson and Bruce May lath 188 Manuscript Published 18. Beating the Odds: Getting a Margaret A. Deitrich 193 Convert 19. Confessions of a Computer Thelma Kibler Publication V. The Craft of Writing for 203 20. Finding Voices in the Silence Renée Casbergue and Patricia J. Austin Points 21. Beginnings: Effective Starting 211 for Professional Writing Eileen Tway 218 Writing n. Decisions Authors Make While Doris L. Prater 225 Text 23. Distancing From and Revising Lea M. McGee and Gail E. Tompkins 233 24. Revision: The Heart of Writing Karen M. Feathers 243 25. Rejection: Who Needs It? Alice K. Swinger VI. Teacher Writer Communities 253 Historical Perspective 26. Writing Communities: One Mary K. Healy 27. A Writer's Community: How Teachers Can Form Writing Groups 261 Russel K. Durst 28. Collaborative Writing as an Option 272 Jill Dillard and Karin L. Dahl 29. Creating Communities for Teacher Research 280 Marilyn Cochran-Smith and Susan L. Lytle Editor 293 Con tribu tors 294 xl Foreword Thomas Newkirk University of New Hampshire here was this book when I really needed it? My own professional writing proceeded by trial and error (mostly the latter). trying to fathom why some work was pub- listed and some was not, trying to read my rejection letters without feeling totally inadequateor just plain mad. Teacher as Writer is not only a book of sound advice; it is a book of moving stories by teachers who recreate themselves as they discover that their own earned knowledge and insight can matter to other teachers. It calls to mind my own first publication in English Journal and editor Stephen Tchudi's letter, which I must have read twenty timesI even ran my hand over the paper. And then to see my name (in what seemed like huge marquee- size letters) in the journal a few months later was a thrill that later publications could not match. I have watched other teachers take that step, and through edited collections like Understanding Writing and Breaking Ground I have coaxed a number into print. Yet while collections of teacher essays are more common now, and while journals are doing more to seek out teachers' writing, the process of writing has never been as well explained as it is in this volume. The National Council of Teachers of English and members of its Committee on Professional Writing Networks for Teachers and Supervisors, especially committee chairs Gail Tompkins and Karin Dahl, should becongratulated on producing (and in many cases contributing to) this fine collection. The book caused me to consider the lives teachers lead, particularly the impediments to the kind of professional involvement that this book encourages. The stories of the teachers here are testimony to the pos- sibilities of reflective work even in the midst of hectic job demands. But I would guess that even for many contributors to this book, it took some extraordinary juggling to find the time and energy to write as they have. To mix my metaphors, it took considerable swimming against the current, which in most U.S. schools is not in the direction of professional reflection. Schools, by and large, are not good places for teachers to learn. 1 (