Freedom to Write and Share

I love blogging and when I started 16 years ago, I had a purpose. Recently I decided to take a step back and not blog on a scheduled basis. I realize now that I still love blogging, writing, and sharing, but my purpose has changed.

I want to share what I’m thinking or doing that others might find interesting. Sometimes I write about our travels so that in the future I can refer back to what we have done and where we went. I’m starting to write down the prices that we spend so that in the future, I will see what changes have occurred. I like to write about things that I’m doing just to keep the memory alive.

One of the things that inspired me was reading other people’s blogs. The two blogs that I have found extremely fascinating are Bedlam Farm Journal by Jon Katz and Full Moon Fiber Art by Maria Wulf.

In June I read The Story of Rose: A Man and His Dog by Jon Katz. When I find a book I like, I’m usually curious about the author so I did some research. Then I found Jon Katz’s blog and I’m fascinated with his photography and his stories. From there, I was connected to his wife’s blog and since I’m a knitter and a spinner, I was intrigued by her blog. I don’t have to agree with everything they say but I love seeing life from their point of view. I feel as if they are my friends (even though they have no clue who I am) and that they are my neighbors (even though I don’t live anywhere near them).

I look forward to their posts and how interesting they are. That is when I realized I wanted the same freedom. It was time to move away from my “Monday through Friday” educational posts. I wanted to write for the enjoyment of writing. I wanted to share things that interested me and even add my own photos that I like.

I was going to write them a note about this but decided I would put it in a blog post because I tend to be too wordy. I feel like I “know” them since they have become a part of my daily life. I added their blog to Feedly.com so I don’t miss any updates to their blogs and I look forward to their new posts.

Thank you Jon and Maria for helping me feel free to write for the joy of writing and sharing!

Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash

Stepping Back

I have been doing this blog for 16 years now and I think it is time to take a step back. I've been trying to blog Monday through Friday every week except for holidays.

Now I find myself really hunting for things to write about that might be relevant to new and struggling teachers. I don't want to write stuff that is just fluff for the sake of writing.

I'm going to continue writing in this blog when I feel like I have something I want to share. I might find an educational resource that is worth sharing or a technique that I find that others might enjoy learning.

I'm going to continue to write about our travels because I feel like traveling is part of my life-long learning.

If you have a question or need advice on a specific topic, please feel free to reach out to me and I'd be glad to write a blog post about it.

Even though I won't be posting Monday through Friday, I still plan on keeping a presence here. In the meantime, I want to continue traveling, reading, gardening. knitting, and learning.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Happy Blogiversary!

I started this blog on September 16, 2007. I wrote about Why Am I Doing This?

I looked at my purpose and I don’t feel it has really changed much. I still want to do this to help teachers. I’m still teaching so I’m still able to share my ideas in person as well as online. I have also added some personal posts rather than writing it in a separate blog because I try to tie them in with my role as a teacher. I’m always looking for new strategies and ideas to be a better teacher and I’m always learning something new every day. I think that is important in our role as teachers to model how learning is important every day.

So, after 16 years, I’m still plugging along, and if you have been with me for a long time, thanks for hanging in there. And if you are new, thanks for finding me. Feel free to comment, share ideas, ask questions, or open a conversation.

Photo by Daniel Huniewicz on Unsplash

Ignoring the Negative

In Maybe We Don’t Want To Tell Our Story from Ideas and Thoughts, Dean Shareski states,

“While it’s easy to say, “Ignore the haters” it’s a challenge for institutions knowing that nearly every post comes at a cost. This is particularly true on social media posts.”

With many people using social media today and many people feeling like they can say anything in a comment, I believe we need to teach our students how to handle different situations that they may encounter.

I remember when I first started my blog and encountered my first negative comment. I felt shocked and hurt but I learned how to deal with it. I learned to ask several questions that helped me deal with this.

• What perspective was the commenter coming from? Were they another teacher, or a student, or a parent?
• Was I unclear about something that I had written? If I had written it differently, would it have helped the reader understand better?
• Does the commenter make a valid point and should I rethink my position?
• Is the commenter just a troll and the comment should be deleted and ignored?

I think asking these questions, would help me understand the comments better. One reason I blog is to share my ideas and feeling. But I also want to be open to other perspectives and hopefully learn from others. Having a conversation with others (through commenting) can broaden my perspective and help me learn new things.

How do you help students deal with negative remarks? Please share.

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

Getting Students to Blog

I have been writing this blog since 2007 and I think it is important to share my ideas and my point of view. Writing is a great way to learn how to communicate with others.

There are many reasons why students should learn to blog. Here are some of the most important benefits:

• Improved writing skills: Blogging forces students to write regularly and to think about their writing in a way that they might not otherwise. This can help them to improve their grammar, spelling, and overall writing fluency.
• Developed critical thinking skills: Blogging requires students to research topics, form their own opinions, and support those opinions with evidence. This can help them to develop critical thinking skills that are essential for success in school and in life.
• Enhanced research skills: Blogging requires students to find and evaluate information from a variety of sources. This can help them to develop strong research skills that will be useful in all areas of their education.
• Increased understanding of a subject: Blogging about a topic can help students to better understand that topic. This is because they have to think about the topic in-depth and explain it to others.
• Improved communication skills: Blogging can help students to improve their communication skills, both written and oral. This is because they have to interact with others in the comments section and respond to feedback.
• Developed creativity: Blogging can help students to express their creativity and to share their unique perspectives with the world. This can be a great way for students to explore their interests and find their voice.
• Built a professional portfolio: A well-maintained blog can be a great way to build a professional portfolio for students. This can be helpful when applying for jobs or internships after graduation.
• Gained a sense of community: Blogging can help students to connect with others who share their interests. This can be a great way to make friends, learn from others, and get support.

Overall, blogging is a valuable skill that can benefit students in many ways. 

Here are some additional tips for students who want to start a blog:

• Choose a topic that you are interested in and passionate about.
• Be consistent with your posting schedule.
• Promote your blog on social media and other online platforms.
• Respond to comments and feedback from your readers.

Do you have your students blog? What do they blog about? Please share.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

15 Year Blogiversary

Tomorrow is this blog’s 15th anniversary! Every year I like to look at why I started this and see if I’m still continuing with my purpose and I think I am. I always said that when it stopped being fun, I would stop doing this but I’m still enjoying it.

Why Am I Doing This (post from 9/16/2007)

Here are the current stats:

Visitors: 2,605,192
Followers: 260 followers
Blog Posts: 4013 posts
Comments: 3522

Most viewed post: https://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/2010/01/100-essential-blog-posts-for-first-year.html

Thank you to all of you who have visited and/or followed this blog! If you have any suggestions for blog posts or questions you would like for me to answer, please contact me! I’d love to hear from you!

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

Fourteen Years Later

I have been writing on this blog for fourteen years. My first post was on September 16, 2007.

Time flies when you are having fun. I’ve been writing posts every Monday through Friday for fourteen years. When I first started this, I told myself I would quit when it stopped being fun. I guess I’m still having fun.

Here is my first post on “Why I’m Doing This.” My reasons are still the same but I throw in some lessons I’ve learned through my travels and sometimes some other personal memories. I still hope that others enjoy reading my posts and get something out of them.

Here are the stats from Google Analytics:

• Over 2.3 million people have read my blog.
• I have 261 followers.
• Over 3730 posts.
• Over 3500 comments
• Most people use Chrome.
• Teaching is the most popular keyword used for search.
• The top locations that view this site are the US, France, Russia, UK, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Brazil, and the Philippines. 

Overall, I think I’m meeting my goal of having meaningful content for my readers.

I want to thank everyone who has visited and supported me over these 14 years.

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

On the List

I am so excited that I made the list! Recently I was contacted about being one of the Top US Education Blogs for this year.

Twinkl's Top US Education Blogs 2020

“We always love reading education bloggers’ excellent teaching tips, strategic lesson planning, and funny classroom stories, and we thought we’d take the opportunity to showcase some of our favorites from this year. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here’s our list of best U.S. education blogs for 2020…”

If you get a chance, please check out the list!

Bllogging is Alive and Well

In Is Blogging Dead? From On an e-Journey with Generation Y, murcha shares,

“Blogging is not dead and will not be while I and many others teach Digital Technologies! I am as passionate as ever about blogging and want my students to be too!”

I totally agree with this. I read many blog posts and I keep them organized in my aggregate reader, Feedly. I just go to this one place and I can see when my favorite blogs are updated. I do not have to bookmark them and then individually click on each bookmark. htis saves a lot of time and makes reading the blogs more enjoyable.

I blog for many different reasons.

My original intention was to share my knowledge and experience with struggling or new teachers.

Over the past 11 years, I have entered discussions about educational philosophy and shared my opinions about different topics.

I have given suggestions for classroom lessons on different topics.

When people write to me about a specific problem, I share my answer in a blog post because I think there may be others who have the same question and would find my answer interesting.

Sometimes I share my experiences about a specific product or company.

I like to write about professional development seminars that I attend and what I learned from them.

I also write about my travels and share new things that I’ve learned. I feel that learning is lifelong and happens on a daily basis.

Sometimes I just learn something new and want to share that with others.

When I teach my graduate class, I require my students to create a blog to write their reflections about their lessons. I also require others to comment on them. I hope this helps them learn that reflection and dialogue are both important. Some of my students continue to blog after the classx ends.

Do you blog? If so, please share the address so I can check it out.

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

Free is Still Good

In I still like free from Blue Skunk Blog,  Doug Johnson shares,

“…I would urge teachers and techies alike to take advantage of free.”

I know that many people are suspicious of “free” because everyone believes that “nothing in life is free.” But I use a lot of free software and apps on my computer. I think it is important to realize that someday it may not be free so use it while you can. We should use the free things while they are available but just not depend on them always staying free. With this understanding, I believe it is great to use the free things.

I am a knitter and find a lot of free patterns online. Many people may feel the quality is not as good as paid-for patterns, but I have to disagree. Many are just as good or even better than some of the patterns that I have paid for.

I still use Blogger which is this free blog platform and have been using it for about 11 years. I encourage my students to use this platform for the blogs that I require them to have. I find it very easy to use and would definitely recommend it to others. I have tried other free platforms, but this is my preference. Thank goodness it is still free after all this time.

I’m glad the social media that I use is still free. I use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Ravelry (for crafters). I have been using all of them for a number of years and so glad I don’t have to pay for them.

I used to use other free platforms that have eventually gone to a paid subscription or disappeared entirely. I feel that this is just the nature of the beast. Things come and go and sometimes change is good. If I hadn’t been “forced” to find something new, I might have gotten in a rut.

How do you feel about using free things? Please share.