Teachers as Professional Writers:

Writing in English Education

Opening the Door

Moving toward publication is like the
opening of
a series of doors. One door opens out from
the
classroom to welcome colleagues in.
Another
opens into the discourse of the field to
welcome
the teacher-writer. Like any transition,
stepping
through these doors is not without
challenges, but

A Dozen Tips
from Louann Reid, Ph.D.

Teach with an inquiring mind

Keep a teaching log
Set writing goals for yourself
Maintain a file of ideas for possible
articles

Ideas and Advice

Form or join a writing group
Read journals, especially those you
want to write for
Consider classroom activities and
conference presentations as sources
of articles
Target the journals for your article,
considering readership, acceptance
rate, reputation, and your publishing
goals

Ideas and Advice

Know the readers
Write for themed issues
Revise and resubmit if invited to do
so
Learn from rejections; celebrate
successes

Maintain a Teaching Journal

The beginning teacher focuses on
his or her teaching. The competent
teacher begins to reflect on the
connections between teaching and
learning, and begins to find ways to
use the professional knowledge
base. Finally, the expert teacher is a
reflective and analytical inquirer
searching for ways to help students
and colleagues make connections

Set Writing Goals and Keep

Files
INSERT SCAN LIST HERE

Form or Join a Writing Group

E-Anthology is an online forum for
NWP ISI participants to publish their
writing and reflections and to
respond to the work of colleagues
CAWP ISI writing groups
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/r
esource/2695

What Is Professional Writing

and What Might it Look
Like?

Short Articles an account of the

practice you will be demonstrating in
the summer institute
English Journal, California English,
Arizona English Bulletin

What Is Professional Writing

and What Might it Look
Like?

Position Papers take on an issue

often a controversial one and
present an argument to make a case
and add to the reservoir of
professional knowledge.

Editorial or opinion essay, letter to

the editor, letter to legislator and the
public at large, school board
meetings

What Is Professional Writing

and What Might it Look
Like?

Teaching Stories every teacher has

stories to tell about teaching
experiences that reveal important
lessons about teaching and learning
or illuminate education problems or
dilemmas.
AZ English Bulletin, CA English, other
NCTE Affiliate Publications

What Is Professional Writing

and What Might it Look
Like?

Case Studies teacher-research

often begins with case studies of
individual students. A case study is
often a good short story with an
interpretive mini-essay attached. The
study introduces a character, tells
her story, showing her actions and
thoughts and presenting the conflict
or problem or challenge to the
teacher. Then reflects on what the

Read Journals
http://www.ncte.org/journals

Consider Classroom Activities and

Conference Presentations as Sources
http://www.public.asu.edu/~jblasin/ae
ta/
http://www.ncte.org/annual
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/
doc/10am/home.csp

Writing Invitations
Hello Jessica,
Im circulating this CFP (pasted and attached ) for
our spring issue of Open Words: Access and
English Studies, which Pearson distributes for free
at the CCCCs. I was just looking through the
2009 CCCCs program and noticed your
presentation. I wasnt able to attend your
session, but it looks like its applicable to our
journals mission. If so, and you havent already
placed it, Im hoping you will consider submitting
it to Open Words.
Best,
John Tassoni

Get to Know Journals

Read the fine print:
http://www.reading.org/general/public
ations/journals/jaal.aspx
Read calls for manuscripts:
http://www.public.asu.edu/~jblasin/ae
ta/
http://www.ncte.org/journals/la/call
http://www.hepg.org/page/20
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/abo
ut/guidelines.shtml

Submit and Wait . . .

From: WICKMAN, CHAD [cwickman@kent.edu]

Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 1:15 PM
To: Jessica Early
Cc: HAAS, CHRISTINA; ODDO, JOHN
Subject: _Written Communication_--Manuscript Receipt
Dear Dr. Singer Early,
This email serves as a receipt for your manuscript submitted to _WC_ and titled
"Inviting in the life world: Personal and creative writing in medical education."
We have assigned your manuscript the following number: 041108-017. *Please refer
to this number in all future correspondence.*
As a matter of information, the time frame for reviewing manuscripts is
approximately 3-5 months.
Thank you for considering _Written Communication_ as an outlet for your scholarly
work.
Best regards,
Chad Wickman, John Oddo
Editorial Assistants, _Written Communication_

Rejection
INSERT RTE REJECTION HERE!

Revise and Resubmit

Dear Dr. Singer Early,
After careful review of your revised manuscript and
reviewer recommendations, we agree that your
manuscript is stronger and congratulate on the
progress you have made. However, we also feel that
some details are still missing and others that are not
pertinent are present in the manuscript thus we
request that you revise your manuscript based on the
comments that follow and resubmit it by July 15, 2010.
-Omit the first three sentences in the introduction and
begin this section with the sentence, In literacy
studies, to avoid having this section sound like an
abstract.
-Add more detail about participants. Were they all
freshman? Were they in the same or different classes
when identified for the study?
-Omit the section from p. 6-7 referring to table 2. This

Revise and Resubmit

-Omit the section from p. 6-7 referring to table 2. This
table and the information about it do not appear to be
relevant in this particular paper.
-Provide a transition at the beginning of the data
collection section that explains why it is important to
answer the research question.
-Add a couple of sentences as to why you chose to focus
on only three of the participants. While we understand
that a reviewer suggested you do this, give a brief
explanation at the end of the data collection section to
help the reader understand this decision.

Revise and Resubmit

-Clarify the data analysis section. On p. 9, give further explanation
of chunking of quotes according to similar patterns. Explain
what thought units are. Is this a notion you developed or is
this based on past work? and explain the process of moving
from thought units to the quotes you use from interviews. List
the ten thematic categories. Elaborate and/or provide an
example of how themes were determined to be robust.
-Omit the first sentence in the finding section.
-Did you perhaps mean Spanish, rather than English in line 6 on
page 11?
-To avoid the risk of using deficit language we have a few
suggestions. On p. 21 in line 10 omit Despite their parents lack
of schooling and lack of familiarity with advanced writing
practices and begin the sentence instead with Students drew
upon the way their parents modeled determination and a strong
work ethic to cope with limited access to (instead of your term
relative deprivation) cultural capital.

Revise and Resubmit

-Finally the sentence that begins on line 13, Students also
perceived their parents negative view of and from choice to
keep them out of ESL programs helped support their English
writing. Must be omitted or reworded since this is a suspect
finding. Based on p. 17 and 18 an interpretation could be
that parents would support bilingual education, but not ESL.
The references cited would not necessarily agree with parent
support of ESL. Given the complexity of the CA context,
perhaps parents views were colored by politics and failure
associated with structured immersion.
While we are unable to offer you an acceptance at this time, we
see much promise in your manuscript and look very forward
to receiving your revised version very soon. Feel free to
contact the editorial assistant, Anissa Lynch at
awicktor@mail.utexas.edu for assistance as you work on
your revisions.
Sincerely,
Mara E. Frnquiz, Co-editor Bilingual Research Journal The
University of Texas at Austin
Kathy Escamilla, Co-editor Bilingual Research Journal University

Persistence Leads to
Acceptance

Dear Jessica Early:

We are pleased to inform you that the review of your revised manuscript, IRA-JAAL2009-10-0198.R2, entitled "Write Your Ticket to College: A College Admission Essay
Workshop for Ethnically Diverse, Underserved Students" is now complete and that it
has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy in its
current form. We assume that this material has not been published elsewhere. If we
are incorrect in making this assumption, please inform us.

We confirm receipt of your copyright agreement form and permission releases, and
inform you that your article will now move on to editing and production.

You can anticipate being contacted by IRA headquarters staff after your article has
been edited, and they will also provide you with an estimated date of publication.
Prior to publication, you will receive galley proofs of your article, and once the article
is published, complimentary copies of the journal.

We appreciate the time and effort you have invested in submitting this manuscript,
and thank you for thinking of the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy as an outlet
for your work. We look forward to your continued contributions to the International
Reading Association.

Sincerely,

Thomas W. Bean and Helen Harper, Editors Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
International Reading Association jaal@reading.org

Now Its Your Turn . . .

This is an invitation to take up Louann
Reids
advice and get started on your own
professional
writing project . . .