A new year invites us to look forward—but here, it also asks us to notice what has endured.
Ethical ELA enters this year shaped by teachers and teacher educators who continue to show up, quietly and faithfully, to read, write, and respond. Over time, participation has shifted and rhythms have changed. The pace has softened. And still, the work continues—not because of momentum or scale, but because people return to one another through words.
That spring stillness years ago taught many of us something essential. Writing—especially poetry—became a way to pay attention and stay human. Craft was not a luxury. Reading and responding felt careful and agentive. For many of us, including me, this practice carried us. What grew during that time was not just a body of writing, but trust—and with it, friendships formed through poems shared and held.
Those relationships continue to shape Ethical ELA. Some writers are here every month. Others return seasonally. Some have stepped away entirely—finding different ways to heal, creating in different spaces and places, leaving teaching, or setting poetry aside for now. Friendships have taken shape well beyond Ethical ELA. All of that belongs. Communities change because people do.
From 2020 through 2025, the work here has remained steady. Following the pandemic spike, activity stabilized at sustainable levels (approximately 85–110 posts, 54K–73K words, and 15K–18.7K comments annually from 2021–2025), indicating endurance rather than decline. Numbers have never been the goal. What matters is the care people bring when they show up—and the willingness to make space for one another’s words.
This year’s Open Writes reflect that understanding. To support sustainability and shared responsibility, we now gather for three days each month, hosted by members of the community who offer thoughtful invitations into writing. These weekends are not performances or commitments; they are openings. You are welcome to write, to read, to respond—or simply to witness.
Upcoming Open Writes:
- January 17–19, 2026
Hosts:
Tammi Belko — Last Lines
Angie Braaten — Academic Anagrams
Denise Krebs — A Pleasure of Poems - February 21–23, 2026
Hosts:
Seana Wright — Ode to a Place
Stacey Joy — Honoring Human Emotions; I Believe In… - March 21–23, 2026
Host: Anna Roseboro
Theme: Women’s History—acknowledging personal and professional influences through poetry
April VerseLove will return—an annual invitation sustained by collective care and participation.
Your Turn
- Revisit a poem you wrote or read on Ethical ELA that once mattered to you; write a note about it or paste it below.
- Share a link to a post—yours or someone else’s—that you still carry.
- Name what you hope to hold onto in your writing life.
- Or simply read, and let that be enough.
This year doesn’t ask for more. It asks for presence. We hope Ethical ELA continues to be shaped by trust, generosity, and friendship. We strive, together, to make space for writing that sustains us—and for one another—through whatever this year brings.