The Dimensions of Teachers Who Write and The Essence of A Writing Life

The purpose of this grounded theory case study was to explore the perceptions among ten K-12 teachers who teach writing and also write themselves. What are the key essentials for teachers to sustain a writing life? What habits of mind or attitudes are necessary for teachers to sustain a writing life? Interviews served as the primary data source along with writing artifacts from the participants’ own writing life. Findings indicate that teacher-writers committed to a writing life do so for the purpose of 1) discovering meaning, 2) connections to others 3) commitment to learning and 4) well-being, with an overall purpose of feeling alive both professionally and personally. Habits of mind or attitudes that were cultivated to sustain a purposeful writing life were: 1) a sense of awareness and curiosity 2) habits and rituals 3) solitude 4) overcoming fear and perfection. Findings suggest that teachers need personal reasons to commit to and sustain a writing life along with a cultivation of attitudes or habits of mind to sustain a writing practice