#engchat

#engchat

Reflection on inspiration found in 2010 PhilWP Summer Invitational Institute I

by Meenoo Rami

“My experience with the #engchat community has been rich.

Beyond tuning me into new resources I might use in my own

practice or share with the pre-service teachers with whom I

work, I've found that conversations with other teachers in

#engchat often give me a variety of perspectives from which

to consider pressing pedagogical issues. It is through

conversations with other teachers in the #engchat community

that I have been able to expand my own learning network,

providing me with a steady stream of valuable insights,

thoughtful inquiries, and fresh resources.”

--Luke Rodesiler, teacher consultant

Red Cedar Writing Project

“The instant collaboration of ideas with #engchat enriches

my teaching each time I jump into a chat. Sometimes I just

follow along; sometimes I add an idea or two. I always learn

and get inspired from other educators passionate about

honing their skills and sharing their love of reading and

writing with their students.”

--Amy Rasmussen, teacher consultant

North Star of Texas Writing Project

It has been one year since the start of #engchat discussions on Twitter. In these past twelve months, I have learned a lot about community, collaboration and communication. More importantly, I have learned that teachers’ voices matter. They matter in ways that are often overlooked in our nation’s dialogue about the state of American public education.

My time at the Philadelphia Writing Project Summer Invitational Institute certainly impacted my vision for starting this online community. Like the National Writing Project, and its Philadelphia Writing Project site, I also believe that teachers are the best teachers of other teachers. Teachers teaching teachers is just not a soundbite but the foundation of the #engchat community.

Every Monday night (7:00-8:00 PM EST), we come together as teachers and share our best hopes and ideas for making learning meaningful for our students. We’ve discussed topics ranging from teaching Shakespeare to building a classroom library for our students. These discussions have served as a springboard for teachers to reflect on their practice and make changes when necessary.

I also believe that teachers are the

best teachers of other teachers.

In these times of vilification of teachers, I feel proud to belong to a community of writers and learners that encourages inquiry, research and contribution to our profession of teaching. Connecting with the National Writing Project via Philadelphia Writing Project has been a blessing for me a teacher; without it, perhaps I would not have taken the leap of faith needed at the start of #engchat.

Lastly, I want to say congratulations to the entire Philadelphia Writing Project community on our twenty-fifth Anniversary. Thank you for giving me another home as a teacher in Philadelphia. Here’s to another twenty-five years!

Meenoo Rami teaches her students English at Science Leadership Academy, a partnership high school between the School District of Philadelphia and The Franklin Institute. SLA is an inquiry-driven, project-based high school focused on 21st century learning. Mixing moments of joy, laughter, risk and encouragement Meenoo pushes her students to think critically about their connection to the word and the world. Meenoo joined the Philadelphia Writing Project in 2010 as a teacher consultant.

Aside from teaching, Meenoo also runs a weekly twitter chat for English teachers called #engchat. You can learn more about #engchat here (www.engchat.org) and follow her adventures in teaching via twitter here (www.twitter.com/mrami2).