This year I decided that I would try having my own blog. I thought that maybe I’d explore ideas about how our school was transforming under new leadership. I thought about sharing books with families or posting themed collections of books that could bring classroom discussions home if families chose to do that . I thought that perhaps I would share resources to grow understanding about various social issues. I do some of that in the classroom, but am sensitive of differing family values and choices. How much should I talk about the refugee crisis or poverty or the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN? I wanted to share and allow families to make choices.
That was my thinking in August, but then I got cold feet. What I’ve discovered is that blogging makes me nervous – I think of things I could post all the time, but putting them down feels risky. I’ve talked to Mrs. Wyman about what I am learning about this process. She said I should just do it.
Today, on this second snow day in a row (UGH!), I read this post on a teacher’s blog that I follow. It’s about teachers as learners – in this case these teachers are learning about blogging. At the end of the post, Megan, a teacher in this project, pretty much described everything I’ve been feeling. She wrote about it eloquently and reminded me of what I need to do. Practice! Many years ago I told my cousin that I just couldn’t seem to capture light in my paintings. “I just can’t do it,” I said. He asked, “How many times did you try it? Once, right?” He was right, I had only tried once. How silly of me. Of course I couldn’t do it the first time. Of course I’d need to practice and experiment over and over and over and then some.
I realize the same is true with blogging. If I truly want to find my voice, I’ll have to explore, experiment and practice. With time, perseverance and patience perhaps I’ll find my way.