The Power of Writing

Before an observation this week, I was discussing the writing lesson the teacher had planned. “As a writer, what are your thoughts about description?” she asked. I paused, then shared, “Focus on nouns and verbs, more so than adjectives or adverbs. I believe writers need to be specific with description.”

The reason I paused is I still do not 100% identify with myself as a writer. Even though I’ve published books and articles, if anyone were to ask me what I did for a living, I would say “principal” or “educator”. I still have a lingering belief that I am not a “real” writer, likely due to not fitting the typical writer mold we might imagine.

This fear is something I believe is common with many writers. It is borne out of worry that others will judge our work negatively. (For more about this, check out my review of the book Fearless Writing by William Kenower)

This is also why writing is one of the hardest disciplines to teach. Yet we have to write, in front and with our students, if we want them to grow as writers themselves. Maybe it is not just writing that we are teaching. Maybe we are also showing students how to call on our courage in order to become the person we were meant to be.

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