Teacher educators in an academic writing community: Fostering agency and well-being

Abstract

Research and writing pose significant challenges for teacher educators balancing heavy teaching loads. To address this, I founded the Etnachta writing community for my colleagues in an Israeli college of education. This qualitative practitioner inquiry explores the motives of twelve teacher educators who joined Etnachta and the benefits they derived. Interview findings and my research journal reveal how writing in social spaces enhances professional agency and well-being. Writing community participation provides transformational professional development, promotes a robust writerly identity, and increases academic activity. The study strongly advocates for proactive collaboration among teacher educators to create conducive conditions for professional writing.