The Benefits of Faculty Writing Groups
Posted: October 24, 2014 by Diana Edelman
Grab your "to do" list. Whether it's mental, handwritten, or online, the list probably includes grading papers, preparing lessons for the week, and attending committee meetings (among other things). Have you scheduled any time this week for your own research and writing? Most of us don't, but can we afford not to? As teachers, we spend a lot of time explaining to students the importance of planning their time, particularly in regards to research and writing. We encourage them to understand their role in the academic community, as thinkers, writers, and readers. Some of us even model this process through in-class peer review workshops where students read and comment on each other's work.
The question is: do we take our own advice? Are we the kind of professors who would be forced to admit that we prefer that students "do as we say, not as we do"? If you are in academia, writing is an essential part of your job—whether you are writing a textbook on quantum physics or a blog about gender dynamics in the media. Before you send that work to a publisher or post it online, do you workshop it with your peers? Do you get their feedback? Do you do multiple revisions, or are you scrambling to pull it together at the last minute because you have so many other duties (not the least of which is teaching)? Quite often, I find that even the best of us do exactly what we tell our students NOT to do—wait until the last minute and/or hover over our desks in the dark of night (as if writing were a solitary process!).
The point is—writing groups are a win-win. Besides modeling the academic community for our students, peer writing groups can help us develop ideas, fine-tune our prose, and keep us on task. We know how easy it is to get "sucked in" to our other duties—teaching, administration, service. Our writing often goes on the back burner, but it needs to become a priority. If you don't schedule it, it won't happen, and before you know it, that article you've been working on will gather more dust than you can handle. The most effective way to ensure that you gain momentum (and keep it) is through peer writing groups.
The Benefits of Peer Writing Groups
- It's an opportunity to discuss ideas at all stages of development. You know that article is going to get a review from experts in the field before it's accepted for publication. If you begin that process in a writing group, even with people in different disciplines, they can help you get it ready for a more "official" peer review.
- Your peers offer a fresh perspective. We have all gotten to the point with a piece of writing where we can no longer "see" it clearly. We need distance and a fresh pair of eyes.
- You learn about what others are working on. Your colleagues provide inspiration and knowledge (which is the whole idea behind conferences, right?). Chances are your peers will know of a resource that is just what you need at just the right time.
- These groups facilitate time management because this scheduled time allows you to say no to other things because you are already committed.
- Your peers provide emotional support and encouragement. Let's face it. Writing can be exhausting, and we need moral support.
Okay, so, the benefits are clear, but you might be thinking that the logistics are murky. How do we start one of these groups? How often should we meet? Is this going to be yet another meeting to attend? The most important thing to do is to find people who are interested in participating and go from there. Establish your own rules and guidelines based on the needs of the group. There is no reason this should become another chore; it should be fun and mutually beneficial.
The Logistics of Peer Writing Groups
Since groups like this can be created and maintained in many different ways, I will share some basic principles/tips that worked for the group I am currently participating in.
- Find colleagues who are interested in dedicating regular time to research and writing and want/need accountability. Send an email to your department, bring it up around the proverbial water cooler, or discuss it with others at a conference. These colleagues need not have the same specialty you do or be in the same discipline. They don't even have to be in the same geographical location. I am in a group with peers on my campus, but I am also in a virtual one with colleagues in other states. They just need to be ready to participate.
- After you identify some people, schedule a time to meet informally and discuss each person's goals and what they hope to achieve from the group. From there, determine the following: when, where, and how often to meet; how to track individual and group progress; and what responsibilities members should have. For the group I am in, we determined that we would like to have a quiet time and place to meet simply to be in the same room working on our projects (I call these "moral support" sessions), but at other times, we wanted to share our writing and get feedback. Thus, we determined that we