TAA members Dr. Patricia Goodson, Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence – Emerita at Texas A&M University, and Dr. Margarita Huerta, the Founder of Real Academics, published a new book, Keep Writing: 101 Strategies for Academic Writers, which contains 101 user-friendly, bite-sized suggestions for nurturing the motivation to sustain a healthy, productive, and joyful writing career, day after day after day. Congratulations Patricia and Margarita!
How to Start Writing (Even When You Don’t Know What You Want to Say!)
By Nathan Pritts
I’ve seen how writing—whether through a short reflection, a shared strategy, or a full article—can become a powerful tool for professional development. It’s about refining ideas, sparking discussions, and contributing to a community of practice.
But after a recent faculty workshop I led, a colleague pulled me aside and said, ‘I’d love to write more, but I have no idea what I’d even say.’ If this sounds familiar, here’s what I want you to know: You already have something worth sharing.
What might seem obvious or routine to you, isn’t to everyone else. I’ve seen this firsthand in my own work when I’ve delivered faculty training and said things as simple as, “Spread your discussion board responses throughout the week” or “Make sure to respond to students who respond to you.” These aren’t groundbreaking ideas, but they’re useful. And when something is useful, it’s worth sharing.