The Journey Begins

Here I sit. Coffee in hand, empty screen before me. My inaugural blog post on my new blog.

I've been thinking about starting my own blog for awhile. I think about it in all of the natural thinking places of course: the shower, while washing dishes, driving home... (anyone else with me in those spots?!) Here are some of the reasons I've decided to go for it!

• Reflection

Reflection is a vital part of teaching, giving us a chance to visit things again and view it from different angles.  Reflecting on the past can help us view the future in a clearer way. Writing has always been a powerful reflection tool for me, and this platform will provide me a place to reflect on experience within my classroom and educational journey.  

• Twitter Made Me Do It

First, if you're not on Twitter, stop reading right now and go sign up. It is life-changing as an educator!  Twitter has provided me with a professional learning network brimming with top-notch educators who bolster my spirits, my skills, and ultimately, my students! Many of my "tweeps" also reflect and share through the platform of a blog. I love the simplicity of a 140 character tweet, but also the additional wealth of information in a link to a blog post.

• Glass Classroom

First pioneered by Maria Montessori, the glass classroom embraces the idea of allowing others a view into your classroom.  While my school may not provide the funding for a literal glass-walled classroom, social media provides a simple and effective way to allow for transparency and access. The glass walls are there for a variety of people: colleagues, administrators, parents, other classrooms, community members, and more! Twitter was my first simple step towards this glass classroom.  Then, I started a classroom blog for my families. This blog is my next glass wall I'm erecting. 

• Learner for Life

My principal recently read and wrote a review about What Connected Educators Do Differently, written by Todd Whitaker, Jeff Zoul and Jimmy Casas.  In her review, she referenced this quote.

Lifelong learning guides much of my classroom and teaching.  Modeling that I still desire to learn from others is important for my students. Modeling that I still write for authentic purposes is important for my students.  Modeling that safe internet usage matters is important for my students. And yes, I can model all of these things by simply starting a blog. 

• Sharing is Caring

Recently, Dr. Rich Voltz visited our district to present on teacher evaluation. While we spent much of our time highlighting the importance of student engagement, we also discussed how a key component of effective educators is sharing with other colleagues.  I know firsthand how I soak up others' ideas like a sponge. We are all an expert at something, and sharing that out helps us build our teacher repertoire. Hopefully you can find something to glean from here as well!

So, here's to a new adventure! 

~K