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| Image Credit: Pixabay.com |
When I started blogging in 2014, I was serving as Secondary ESL Teacher and was inspired to blog by my English learners. A few months prior, my students created individual blogs and while the objective was for them to develop their English writing skills, it soon became a powerful driver of both academic and personal growth. As their writing skills grew so did their confidence and I was so inspired by their accomplishments that I felt moved to create my own blog. Read my very first post here.
Initially, my posts consisted of reflections and celebrations from my ESL teaching experience and so my blog was appropriately titled "ESL Musings." However, as I developed as a globally connected educator I found my professional interests expanding and evolving. In January 2016, ESL Musings became Teaching Tidbits. I renamed my blog and purchased "teachingtidbits.com." but I didn't change the blogspot URL. Therefore, although my blog title reflected the change, the blogspot URL did not.
Fast forward to August 2017, I joined a new district and transitioned to an instructional facilitator role. That's when I lost my blogging voice. It's not that I'm not as reflective. Quite the contrary. The longer commute has given me lots of time to ponder and reflect. But frankly, there was so much newness last year- new, role, new school, new district- that I felt that I was in a season of intake.
But I really missed blogging.
While I'm still growing in my facilitator role, I really miss sitting at the keyboard and mulling over my experiences. Sure, I could just keep a journal or enter my thoughts on a Google doc, but there's a creative part of blogging that I really enjoy. I don't care if my posts are read by a single person, but as a technology enthusiast, blogging makes me feel as if I accomplished something as I reflect. It also serves as my professional portfolio.
For 2019, I've decided to restart my blogging practice. Teaching Tidbits will now be housed at gonzalezteachingtidbits.blogspot.com and I'm changing this blog back to "ESL Musings." It will be linked to my new blog so I can go back and read my old posts when I need a little inspiration.
There's still lots I'm taking in and I'm enjoying every bit. I'm forever learning and growing. Celebrating the minute as well as the grandiose. Living every moment to the fullest and sharing my reflections as I travel on this journey of teaching and learning, in the hopes that I may offer a tidbit of inspiration to those who read my pages.
May 2019 be the #BestYearEver
Hi Anabel,
ReplyDeleteI came across your blog on AJ Juliani's list of "30 Challenge" participants; as I read, I was struck by some similarities that we share.
I'm also just coming off a first year in a new position that sounds similar to yours - my title is Instructional Coach - although I didn't change school districts, I now work with 16 different schools. I too, found that I blogged less during this past year and a bit, probably because I had to write newletters and such for the new role.
As a "technology enthusiast" like yourself, I feel that blogging is so important for us as professionals and applaud you in taking the "30 day Challenge" and wish you "good writing".
Cammie https://cammiekannekensblog.wordpress.com