Balancing Acts: Juggling the Many Roles of the Writing Teacher

Our annual symposium for teachers and students of writing will be held this year on Friday, October 9, 2026. We hope you will join us for this year’s keynote speaker, workshops, and special writing events!

We value our identity as a symposium that fosters conversation about the teaching of writing & speaking across grade levels and disciplines. This year, we’re exploring the “many hats” we wear as writing teachers, and the balancing acts it takes to manage them all.

As always, we seek innovative ideas for assignments, projects, and activities that engage students, build inclusivity, and promote accessibility in the classroom. We also welcome research-focused presentations that include in-progress and/or completed research projects. 

This year’s symposium will consider these questions:

• How do we manage the different roles we play in the writing classroom—from teaching to mentoring?  How do we negotiate what we know are best pedagogical practices with institutional expectations, from learning objectives and standards to new technology-based practices?
• How do we create a work-life balance that not only benefits us personally but also serves as a model for our students?
• How do we balance the needs of our individual students while also moving the whole class forward? How might we engage thoughtfully in discussions about how recent innovations or policies enhance or complicate inclusivity and accessibility in our classrooms? 
• How do we create spaces for ourselves and our students that foster a more cohesive K-16 culture of writing?  
• How do we engage students in developing the reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills necessary for college readiness while also encouraging student agency and individual creativity that inspires and motivates students? 
• How might we foster conversations around best assessment practices in this ever-changing educational landscape?
• How can we encourage more collaboration in writing programs across institutions, levels, and disciplines?
• What role do writing center and speaking center programs play in supporting student writers across our K–16 institutions?  
• How can instructors build and maintain these conversations/support networks throughout the semester/school year? 
• How might we support each other in juggling care, rigor, and responsibility in our classrooms?

We invite proposals for three types of sessions:

• 45-minute interactive presentations/workshops from teachers of all levels, writing/speech center directors/consultants, and other educational professionals. We welcome individual or collaborative proposals from across disciplines, grade levels, and/or institutional levels. 
• 45-minute research roundtables that showcase research projects (in-progress or completed) that align with this year’s theme.
• Poster sessions that showcase favorite assignments and/or project-based learning opportunities.

We believe these types of sessions will foster important conversations about the need for balance in the classroom and about the vertical alignment that could and should exist in K–16 writing and speech instruction. Please remember that we value presentations and workshops that include audience participation and ample time for questions.

Questions? Email us at tcw@go.olemiss.edu

To submit a proposal, please complete this form. You will receive an email confirmation from the planning team. Proposals should be submitted by Friday, April 3.