Where can teachers discuss the ins-and-outs of their daily classroom adventures? Do you know a watercooler surrounded by teachers that also write? How about some place where teacher-writers can share tactics without tones hushed considering student ears? T&W ChatSpace is for us. This discussion series is the watercooler we have been waiting on. T&W ChatSpace is a platform for teachers with a writing practice to discuss pedagogy, writing strategies, and the explorations capturing our attention.
In the first installment of T&W ChatSpace with MATTMATT RAYBEAM our host is joined by Glynn Pogue. Glynn is a writer, editor, and co-host of Black Girls Texting podcast. In this episode MATTMATT and Glynn discuss her early days of teaching in Cambodia, developments with Black Girls Texting, and how to find your voice as a writer. Check out the video below to watch their conversation on Instagram Live. Also stay tuned for more T&W ChatSpace installments to come!
GLYNN POGUE: “When somebody asks me what I do, even though teaching is the thing that I’m prioritizing the most, I always lead with writing, I say ‘I’m a writer.’ I do want to prioritize that a bit more. But I also don’t want to shame myself for showing up being a teacher every day and loving it. It’s fueling me in an amazing way. Teaching is bringing me a lot of joy. And as of now, I really want to get back to writing more for the exploration.”
MATTHEW THOMPSON: “As I work with my students, I’m always telling them to honor their voices. The way that you write your best pieces of writing is by writing exactly how you write when you speak to your people. Honor that on the page and honor the minute details, it doesn’t always have to be these broad strokes. We don’t need you to inspire us, we just want to know your story.”
Teachers & Writers Magazine is published by Teachers & Writers Collaborative as a resource for teaching the art of writing to people of all ages. The online magazine presents a wide range of ideas and approaches, as well as lively explorations of T&W’s mission to celebrate the imagination and create greater equity in and through the literary arts.