Should More Teachers Blog?

Hello, and welcome to my very first blog post on...blog posting. With this post I aim to share my thoughts on whether more teachers should post blogs and why. Maybe you've been asking yourself if you should start blogging, and maybe this post will help you decide.

As a second year pre-service teacher, my initial thought on teachers posting blogs is that sharing information and experiences is beneficial to all of us. Specifically, for those of us who are training to become educators and for the teachers just entering the workforce. Each and every one of us experiences the world differently, and by sharing our perceptions of our experiences, we can help others to navigate their way through their challenges more easily--we all know teaching comes with no shortage of challenges! Experienced teachers who share their knowledge, advice, and cautions increase the range in which their influence reaches. Most (if not all) of us entered the education field to make a difference in the lives of children. Just think, the more you share your experiences as a teacher, the more children you affect. For teachers, the Blogosphere has the ability to reduce the occurrence of common mistakes, increase the positive experiences, and instill confidence, which in turn, could reduce teacher burnout! The benefits are endless, really.

To further support the benefit of teachers' blogs, in his post, "4 Reasons People Don’t Blog and Ideas to Help Change Their Mind," author George Couros lists the barriers that stop teachers from starting blogs. Much like the apprehension felt before undertaking any challenge, all of the obstacles listed by Couros are self-inflicted... IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD!! Seriously, as listed by Couros, the reasons people don't blog are because they doubt the impact a blog can have, they claim to have no time, they covet their privacy, or they don't think anyone will find any value in what they have to say. To each of these excuses, Couros offers a rebuttal. Basically, blogging is an opportunity to reflect and share with other teachers, and by offering excuses you are undervaluing your talents as an educator. After reading this post, I felt a little embarrassed because I have been procrastinating starting a blog for years, and all of my excuses were listed in Couros' post. Equally important, is Matt Miller's post, "Why I blog — and why EVERY teacher should," where Miller describes feelings of isolation that can occur as a new teacher and explains how blogging can build a community and help to organize the chaotic thoughts of new teachers, reminding us again, that through reflection, teachers can enhance their practice; a calm and organized teacher can manage a classroom more effectively. Even as a pre-service teacher I can understand the sense of isolation. I mean, sure, we're currently in the middle of a pandemic and we're being urged to avoid human contact when possible, but more than that, we are in the second year of pre-service training, which is the year that really counts academically. As my Philosophy instructor once said, "[we] are in the Hunger Games." Right now, it's each person for his or herself, and it really feels that way. Maybe through blogging, some of us can find an outlet for stress and a connection with others who feel the same. Finally, in the post "Why every teacher needs a blog: How the power of writing can transform your profession," teacher Paul Ellsworth explains how blogging "transformed [his] work." Through reflection, Ellsworth's blog allowed him to "clarify [his] beliefs and also added other benefits to building a professional network. That is to say, that blogging is a great way to showcase your professionalism and your dedication to teaching. This theory makes perfect sense to me. Writing is always a way to clarify your thoughts and ideas. Writing has helped me through some major mental clutter--it's like housekeeping for your mind.

And there you have it, I highly recommend taking the time to fully read the above links because they are full of great information, and coming back around to the question I began with, should more teachers blog? In one word... YES! If you are a teacher, blogging can offer many advantages to you, your classroom, and your community. So, set forth and blog!