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Writing, as we all know, is a great exercise for thinking, and I can certainly say that all the writing I’ve done has made me a much, much better teacher for my students.
I thought blog readers might find it helpful for me to share a guide, with resources, on how and where to write about education.
This post will be structured from, in my opinion, are the easiest ways to get published to the hardest (feel free to disagree with my ranking). Most, if not all, I believe are generally unpaid, except for the hardest one – a book (let me know if I’m mistaken on that). I’ve also only written about places where I’ve had direct experience – there are certainly other educational outlets that are worth looking at (Chalkbeat, Ed Source). Unfortunately, now that Valerie Strauss has left The Washington Post, the chances for teachers to be published there have been diminished greatly:
Your Own Blog
The easiest way to get started is writing your own blog about teaching and sharing your pieces on social media. I’ve got lots of resources to get started at The Best Sources Of Advice For Teachers (And Others!) On How To Be Better Bloggers.
Classroom Q & A in Education Week
This is my teacher advice column at Ed Week, where 1,100 educators have responded to questions over the past thirteen years. It’s very popular. Contributors, the vast majority of whom work fulltime in a K-12 school, provide 400-700 word answers to about forty different questions each year. If you do work fulltime in a K-12 school, and are interested in possibly contributing, contact me on Twitter or email me at mrferlazzo at aol dot com and let me know who you are and what you do.
MiddleWeb
MiddleWeb is a longtime website serving mostly middle-grade educators, but its topics typically relate to all grades. Its editor, John Norton, is hands-down the best editor I have ever worked with, and it’s safe to say that most other writers who have been lucky enough to come in contact with him say the same thing. Check out their submission guidelines here.
Edutopia
Who doesn’t know Edutopia? They just did a Webinar on how to write for them, and published a great PDF on “pitches” which can apply to just about everywhere. Also check out a “Write For Us” page they have. I’ve always found them very supportive and open to new ideas.
ASCD
ASCD has both a blog and its well-respected Educational Leadership Magazine. You can see writing guidelines for both here. The themes for the magazine are laid out way in advance. In my experience, their editing is top-notch.
Education Week Opinion Essay
Education Week receives lots of submissions for op-ed pieces, and I think the bar is pretty high for one to be accepted. But if you have a good one, I’d strongly recommend that you send it in – the editing is fantastic, as is the audience. Here are the guidelines.
Writing A Book
As the author or editor of thirteen books, plus two second editions, I can tell you that writing one can make you a much better teacher and be a huge pain in the butt. The education publishing business has been consolidating, with Routledge recently buying Stenhouse (Routledge has published my books on student motivation). Jossey-Bass (Wiley) has published my books on teaching English Language Learners. I’ve had great experiences with both of them. Other key ed publishers include Corwin and ASCD. Heinemann, too, is out there, but be aware of recent controversy with them about race and gender issues.
I’ve collected a lot of book-writing advice for teachers at So, You Want To Write A Book? Here’s The Best Advice…
Some final suggestions: I used to write regularly for the British Council about teaching ELLs. It seems like they might still be interested in contributions from teachers. The NY Times Learning Network is always interested in hearing about how teachers are using The Times in lessons.
Start writing, and also let me know who I’m missing!
Wow, Larry. Appreciate your kind words about MiddleWeb and my editorial prowess. I’ve had the advantage of always being the learner in the educator/editor relationship. I don’t assume I know, but I pay attention to those I know do.