Blogging – Year 2
It was just over one year ago that I started this blog as a new year’s resolution to myself. I am proud that I have kept up with it. In 2010, I was able to produce 35 blog posts, which is an average of almost 3 each month. Of course, I was not able to write as much as I would have liked, but I am glad that I didn’t give up.
As of yet, I do not have a new year’s resolution for 2011, but I am mulling things over right now. I may not be able to clearly outline an official resolution – instead it may be a general conscientiousness. I recognize that I need to get better at scheduling my time, being more productive, and trying to find a better work-life balance (you may notice that I am writing this blog at 1AM on a Wednesday). For me, these three things are very closely connected.
This year Edublogs has created the Teacher Challenge, which is intended to give new edubloggers a kickstand to support them, or give more experienced bloggers a kick start to get them writing more in 2011. I think it’s a great idea and I am going to try and participate as much as I can. For the first challenge, I will address the topic 10 things you should know about blogging.
My 4 Things (because 10 was too many for me)
- Blogging is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. This is something I have had to remind myself many times over the past year. It is easy to put expectations on yourself (e.g. how often you will write), and then feel disappointed when you fail to live up to your own expectations. Whenever I start feeling bad about my blog, I remind myself why I started blogging in the first place. Needless to say, “to make me feel bad about myself” was not on the list.
- Blogging builds connections. One of the highlights of my first year of blogging was the first time I was quoted on someone else’s blog! It is really great to feel like my posts are a valued contribution to the edublogosphere. Writing a blog helps you create an online identity and opens opportunities to connect with other outstanding educators.
- Blogging is a bit of an ego balancing act. On the one hand, you should be writing for personal reasons, not for public attention. Your blog will be interesting to read because it comes from you, and your thoughts have value! However, it is difficult not to get preoccupied with “readership.” After all, you could just use a journal if you didn’t want people to read your blog! I have a number of widgets on my blog to track the readership because I like statistics, but I really try not to focus on that – The motivation to blog should be intrinsic.
- Ideas are easy – coherent thought is more difficult. I currently have about 25 draft blogs waiting to be written. The reality is that coming up with ideas to share is actually pretty easy. About once a day I think, “that would make a good blog post.” But, when the fingers hit the keyboard, the story changes. All of a sudden, the idea is not as fleshed out as you originally thought, or you begin anticipating the criticism, or you’re not sure how to communicate the ideas concisely, or you just don’t have the time to give your ideas the one-on-one attention they need. In the end, I still think it’s better to catch the post in a draft, then have it slip away forever. One day, it will get its chance.
If you are thinking of starting a blog, I highly recommend it. If you already do blog, how much does my list ring true for you?
I wish everyone a happy new year. I hope 2011 will be filled with tremendous growth and accomplishment.
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