Do you identify as a writing teacher, or a teacher who writes?

If this question seems confusing or obvious to you, why not take this quick survey* and be an anonymous part of my research as part of the Premier’s English Teachers Association English Scholarship?

As part of my study tour, I’ll be visiting the UK and speaking with teacher, academics, writers and literacy consultants, as well as visiting schools to investigate how writing is taught and supported.

Here’s the rationale from my scholarship application:

Teachers are writers. We regularly write reports, feedback, programs, and sample responses. While many teachers are confident in producing analytical and non-fiction texts, most are less willing to identify themselves as creative writers even though many would accept that teachers are most effective when explicitly modelling and undertaking the same tasks as their students. Some studies suggest that teachers who lack confidence in their perceived ability to write, and teach writing, may transmit negative judgements about writing with “… consequences for classroom practice.” (Cremin, 2006; Gannon and Davies, 2007). This Teacher and Student Writing Projects study tour aims to explore and generate practical strategies to support teachers in developing a sense of their own identities as creative writers, which will in turn foster confidence and improve outcomes for student writing.

*thanks to everyone for completing the survey – it is now closed while I collate my final report. KJ, July 16, 2016.