One of the things I heard the most during my teaching experience was, “How does this relate to my future?” and typically students would say this in relation to learning how to read Shakespeare, writing research papers, or something that wasn’t ‘blatantly’ relevant to the contemporary world.

I would always tell them that English (especially writing and reading) were two of the most important and fundamental skills for survival. I would talk about resume-writing, job applications, sending emails, etc. – all the relevant ways we use our English-based skills every single day. Sometimes they would nod in agreement, or stand there silently taking note, or wrinkle their nose in aggravation that they hadn’t stumped me.

What I’ve learned, however, is that writing is not only essential, it’s actually beautiful. Since leaving the education world and diving headfirst into writing and editing for my full-time career, I’ve realized how valuable writing has been to me, and want to share that with you in hopes that you can encourage both yourself, and your students. Continue reading →