I began blogging in earnest sometime around 2010-2011. Larry Fliegman, now a principal in Vermont, hosted a blogging challenge which started my journey. Now, six years and 5,051 posts later, I'm prompted to reflect on that journey and plan the next steps.
It has been a good journey of reflection, share, and decision making. Through writing I've been able to grow my practice by embedding good research, integrating others' ideas, reflecting, and developing what I do and can do. The writing has also served to solidify ideas in my mind when it comes to quality teaching and learning as well as pose important questions and challenges to work on alone and with others. Further the writing makes for efficient share if someone is interested in something I've done, a resource I've used, or an idea I'm developing. Finally, the blog is my teaching/learning story--a story of ups and downs as I navigate teaching and learning while I research, teach, collaborate, and live in this evolving world of ours.
As I move forward with blogging, I plan to value my time and effort more. Rather than apologize continually for my multi-hour reading, research, writing, and share patterns, I want to acknowledge that is who I choose to be and what I choose to do. I am a lover and collector of ideas. I am also one who sees amazing promise and potential in our world, and I love the giant, exciting problem of how to maximize who we are, what we know, and what we can do to forward betterment for ourselves, our loved ones, communities, nation, and world. I rarely see limits and can always think of new ideas to solve problems. The world of ideas, share, and connections is my playground, and I enjoy every minute of synthesis, creativity, collaboration, and problem solving that this idea-playground affords me.
Additionally, I enjoy what this playground of ideas allows me to do with my students. While I'll be the first one to admit I'm not perfect and in constant learning-motion, I am much better at teaching and learning than I was when I first started this journey. I read faster, research better, learn more, and integrate that learning in ways that matter when I teach my students. And speaking of the students, let me tel you, they are my first muse, challengers, navigators, and informants on this journey. I could not do this work without my regular intersection with children who I believe are the bright stars in our world--beacons who should be listened to, cared for, and followed with greater commitment.
So the blogging will continue with a bit more investment, confidence, and commitment in the days ahead. If you have any ideas or suggestions to offer me in this regard, please do. Thank you!
