Yesterday I was at a workshop for the Lucy Calkins Units of Study in Writing. We spent a lot of time discussing why writing instruction is so important. Obviously it was a lot of preaching to the choir for me. But, I found I was looking at writing through the lens of my blogging and reaffirming what I have already discovered after 100 days of blogging.

Our facilitator was one of the authors of the Units of Study program and has written a few teacher development books and a young adult novel. She said something that really stuck with me.

Professional writers don’t get writer’s block because they write everyday. 

The true enemy of writing instruction is time and consistency. When we don’t dedicate time to writing and/or write without fidelity we lose our mojo. I have found this when I  missed a few days of blogging. It’s very difficult to get back on the writing wagon and I even have a hard time finding inspiration.

Every day I write I find a little more of my voice. Every day my writing is a tad better than the day before.

This realization is one I wish more teachers, schools, and districts understood. Dedicated time to authentic writing with choice is vital to enabling our students to communicate through the written word.

And, now after 100 days of blogging, the parent in me wants to make this part of our family routine at home.