Brewing Bold Ideas for Middle School Writing Instruction

Behind the Brew

Meet Courtney

Courtney Prather

Founder, Educator, Learner, & Coach

Facts about Courtney:

  • Mom to three beautiful children
  • Wife to an amazing husband
  • Owns several chickens, ducks, 2 goats, 2 dogs, and a cat (was supposed to be a barn cat but made his way to an inside cat.. long story)
  • Lifelong resident of Central Illinois
  • Coffee is my love language
  • Writing is my outlet
  • Penguins are the best

About Me

Hi, all! I am Courtney, and I am so excited you are joining me on this adventure! My goal with this blog is to provide ideas, tips, and content to teachers whether you are new to the field, experienced, or aspiring!

My story starts off pretty typical – I always grew up wanting to be a teacher, loved playing “school” as a child, and knew this was where my heart belonged.

I taught ELA to 6th and 8th grade students in two different districts: rural and urban. I loved teaching reading but was nervous when it came to teaching writing. In my first few years of teaching, I focused on isolated grammar skills, a big writing unit shoved in at the end of the unit to meet standards, and uncertainty when it came to effective writing growth. Once I moved districts, became a writing teacher, and started graduate courses, I found my love of writing personally and as a teacher. I realized the potential writing has in being able to dig into complex texts, discover identity (hello middle school!), and empower our voices to make a change in the world around us.

This passion led me to become an instructional coach and adjunct professor of preservice educators while continuing my own studies in a doctoral program. I longed for a community that focused on innovative writing ideas for middle school students. Writing does not have to be essays, isolated grammar studies, and, eeek, boring…

While sipping on a hot cup of coffee (ahh, my favorite!), I realized I still felt like I was missing something. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE coaching and teaching, but I wanted a space to talk about middle school writing. And so The Middle Brew was born…

Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I dig into research and put this into practical form to innovate writing instruction at the middle level. Our students deserve a writing curriculum that is passionate, rigorous, and forward-thinking. Let’s get brewing!

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