As far as I am concerned, it is necessary for teachers to be writers and to share strategies, lessons, and resources with one another, as we are able to provide glimpses into our daily lives, while sharing effective ideas that are realistic and classroom-tested.
There are several reasons why teaching, writing, and blogging complement one another. Following various teacher blogs, commenting on the entries, and interacting with other teachers is an excellent form of professional development. What better way to improve your teaching than to have hundreds of teachers in your professional learning network?
If you are a teacher and are unsure about writing your own blog, here are some suggestions that you may find useful:
1.) There are so many excellent teacher blogs out there that you may find interesting. A quick search would provide you with some great blogs that are related to your own teaching and are interesting to read.
2.) Every teacher is busy—between teaching, planning, marking, coaching, and our personal lives, we all have a lot on our plates. How do we find time to write? We find writing to be a reflective practice that helps us become better teachers. If you find a topic that you are passionate about, then writing will not seem like a chore, but more like a goal that you are inspired to reach.
3.) Be professional when writing! Never blog about anything that would compromise your integrity, that of your students, or your colleagues. Respect and professionalism is of the utmost importance.
4.) Don’t think that your thoughts, reflections, and experiences shouldn’t be shared. What you think is not that great, may be just what another teacher needs to read!
5.) Learn from others and reflect! Take what you see, make any necessary changes or additions and try it out! Once you have tried it for yourself, reflect! Then, share the experience again! As we pass it on, we continue to learn from others and others continue to learn from us!
Do you have any blogging tips? Share them in the comments section!
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