Posts In Category Blogging and Writing
Gotta Keep on Blogging
on October 16, 2012 by Laura in Blogging and Writing, Comments (0)
A decade ago, I didn’t know what blogging was. Now I teach it.
According to Penny Kittle, students need to see teachers engaged in the same activities as they in order for the students to believe that the work being done is not busywork for students. By watching the teacher struggle in her writing the student learns to emulate the adult model.
Sn now I’m writing blogs — several of them. I have professional blogs (this one and my NING blog). I have personal blogs (GoodReads and Dailymile). I have social media blogs (GoodReads and Pinterest). I have blogs which overlap (GoodReads and Pinterest).
It really does get easier with practice. It’s downheartening when it appears no one is reading the blog but I have to remind myself that I’m not writing for others. I’m writing to keep myself going. It’s become a form of venting and stress control. When I look at this page in particular, I remind myself why I continue to teach when it appears that the world has turned against me, education, and teaching.
I am now at the point where I am writing ahead of time. I write blog postings before I publish them so that I have a few polished pieces I need to “fill up my calendar.”
On the front page of my blog is a calendar widget. It reflects the blogs I have written. My goal is to have a post for each day of the week each month. In other words, my goal is to have a Monday blog post for August, a Sunday blog post for August, a Tuesday blog post for August, etc. That’s a minimum of seven blog posts each month for each of my WordPress blogs. (I have other goals for my other blogs.)
With these goals in mind, I’m inspired to pay attention to blog post opportunities. I listen to teens talking in the hallways. I reflect on the trainings I’m required to attend. I pay attention to my students, especially when they think I’m not listening. Kate DiCamillo believes that writers write what they see; I’m inclined to agree.
My writing inspires me. I hope their writing will inspire my students.
