From the Editors’ Desk
Building a Community of Teacher Writers
Writing, like relationships, often unfolds in unexpected ways. Sometimes we are motivated to write by a burning desire to share a message, but often we write to untangle our thoughts—letting ideas emerge in print helps us learn what we know. Writing—both as a way to process and share—is a crucial step in the inquiry process. Authors in this issue share a wide range of ideas, from Tamashi Hettiarachchi weaving journaling into students’ experience, to Michealrose Ravalier’s insights about working with English Language Learners, to Anne Watson’s confidence in how teaching prepares us for a wider range of leadership than we might imagine, such as holding elected public office. But we also see examples of writing used to codify ideas, with Annie Sussman and Kwesi Vincent both seeking to define the term “teacher leadership,” and Ayanna Perry expressing her experience of math through poetry. Here, two Kaleidoscope Associate Editors share their perspectives—Yanjie as a participant and Kelsey as a facilitator—of writing shoulder-to-shoulder throughout the 2025-2026 Knowles Writing Retreat. As part of their inquiry processes, they have been striving to build a consistent practice of putting thoughts to keyboard, sharing their writing, and building a community of teacher writers.
Writing—both as a way to process and share—is a crucial step in the inquiry process.
Yanjie’s Story
I decided to participate in the Writing Retreat because I wanted to stay connected with the ideas of teacher leadership that I learned about during the Knowles Teaching Fellowship. The Writing Retreat gave me an opportunity to explore new sides of teacher leadership: vulnerability in sharing with a teaching community and the freedom to do so in a manner that made sense to me.
At our first in-person gathering in the summer, I enjoyed meeting my small writing group, with whom I would be sharing my writing all year, and making connections across the larger Writing Retreat cohort. It was a joy to be in a community where all of the participants were clearly working toward the same goal: writing. I took great comfort in this shared goal and wrote from my teaching experience authentically. As I listened to others’ writings and shared my own, I felt a common understanding that leadership in our teacher settings started with being vulnerable in our writing. By being honest and authentic while writing about our teaching experiences, we were able to reflect deeply on our teaching practices.
Throughout the year, the facilitators have treated this vulnerability in our writing with great care. At both virtual and in-person meetings, our facilitators have emphasized the freedom of choice. Through my inquiry work with the Knowles Fellowship, I found that teacher leadership can be difficult because of the other stakeholders in our contexts. The facilitators trusting in our ability to choose meaningful writing topics helped me and the other writers feel like our voices were not only sufficient, but worth listening to—in whatever form we decided to present it in. This freedom of choice, along with deep vulnerable, reflective writing, allowed me to continue the inquiry process to understand what teacher leadership means to me.
Kelsey’s Story
About five years after my Teaching Fellowship concluded, I jumped back in by signing up for the Writing Retreat as a participant. Then, over a decade later, I experienced the Writing Retreat from the other side of the agenda—donning a facilitator’s hat. Co-planning and co-facilitating the Writing Retreat was a privilege that continues to enrich me both personally and professionally.
My goal as a facilitator was to support teacher-writers during our in-person retreats and to provide specific feedback throughout the year to my writing group. Rather than coming to our workshops with a goal of organizing my thinking or honing my writing craft the way a participant might, I co-led a packed agenda with two other Knowles Senior Fellows. We hoped to structure a supportive and constructively critical community, equipping teachers with writing tools and work time, and letting the storytelling unfold. Activities to build participants’ self-concept as writers included telling and workshopping their own stories, considering their intended audience and stance toward them, addressing their inner critic, preparing to give and receive feedback, creative writing exercises, and lots and lots of writing time.
The joy of facilitating was related to the participants. Facilitation required stepping back and listening rather than speaking. It was a chance to manifest “it’s not about me”. Whether already well versed in creating content—such as Josh Pullen and Shira Helft, who both published blog posts during the initial meeting—or just dipping their toes into the habit of writing to process, we strove to make everyone feel supported and inspired in the development of their teacher-writer identity. Writing shoulder-to-shoulder with participants prompted my own reflection on what my “Positive Parenting” column audience might need and inspired my favorite one to date: A Love Note to Parents. I facilitated others’ writing by listening from a place of curiosity. Observing others weave meaning from their personal inquiry enhanced the writing of all involved.
As Kaleidoscope Associate Editors, we hope you enjoy the articles in the Fall 2026 issue and find inspiration to write about your experiences in education. The authors of this issue decided their experiences were important enough to write about and share; we know that you have a story to tell as well. We hope that you find a space and community to read and write so you can discover your knowledge and wisdom and share it with the wider education community.
Citation
Rasmussen, K., & Zheng, Y. (2026). From the editors’ desk: Building a community of teacher writers. Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives, 13(1), URL NEEDED.