I’m a workaholic. Relaxing is not what I do. Although this the first summer, in five years, where I am not teaching summer school, interning, or taking doctoral coursework, the concept of free time is scary and thrilling all at the same time.
Idleness drives me crazy and there are only so many cheesy romance novels that I can read and pages of my dissertation that I can write before I begin to go stir-crazy. I miss the hustle and bustle of my classroom. I even miss all the strategic planning that goes into acquiring my daily coffee buzz. (For those of you who know me–my battle to give up my daily caffeine is not a fight I’m winning.)
So, earlier this week, I got the brilliant idea that I was going to do something productive with my summer. I was going to use the internet to change the world. That’s so realistic, right? LOL!
But, seriously (ummm…you can stop laughing now), how can I change the world? And using the internet, no less?
Blogging was the most logical choice for getting my voice out into the world. But no differently than in the real world, I find myself still voiceless and a little more than intimidated. I don’t know how to get noticed or how to weed through the politics online. The Bible has it right when it says–
“What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
There are millions of blogs online and the only thing that I can contribute, other than my uncertainty and inexperience, is my passion for teaching and a sincere interest in creating change. However, that too is no different than the myriad of other blogs I have discovered online.
So dear reader (if you are indeed out there), how do I set myself a part? How do I give you something that is:
- Different.
- Fresh.
- Helpful.
Everything, I’ve read about blogging says that you have to have an audience and focus for writing. Unfortunately, I’m about as focused as a fly at a summer picnic. The notion of writing about education enthralls me and I don’t know how to pick which area of education I want to focus on (maybe this is the same as asking parents to pick their favorite child).
And, ultimately, this blogging process makes me feel selfish and far too much inside my own head (despite my intentions not to be). I am here because I need the catharsis of the writing and its revelatory yield. Most importantly, I need to learn everything that I can to make my dream of founding a school come true. I desire to found one of the nation’s best educational institutions–a fine arts and technology academy for underprivileged 8th-12th graders with potential.
So, join me on this blogging journey. I need your help and I would appreciate your wisdom, commentaries, and constructive criticism.
In return, below are some resources that you might enjoy. And remember, sharing is caring. So, please feel free to share these resources with others. 
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Best Blogging Advice:
- 4 Ideas to Make Your Blog Remarkable
- Blogging Basics: Nothing Trumps Authenticity and Sincerity in Blogging
Lists of Other Cool Teacher Blogs:
My Favorite Blogs:
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6 Responses to “The New Kid on the Block: Blogging & Me”
I think you keep writing about your passion, your journey and just stand behind your words. Write for you not others and invite others in to the conversation. I personally wait to see which direction you go, welcome to blogging!
Thank you so much for your feedback. I can’t wait to see what direction I will go in either. It means a great deal to me that you took the time to read my blog and give me feedback. I love reading your blog and feel like I know you. Maybe, if I’m lucky, my blog might make someone in cyber space feel the same about me one day. Hopefully, time will reveal to me what type of blogger I am. Thank you, again.
Use your blog to learn out loud, and keep using Edublogs Twitter & other social media sites to find other folks who are also learning their way towards leading a school.
Have you already connected w/ @jeniferfox (http://www.strengthsmovement.com/), who is right there in TX w/ you?
I’d also recommend following the work of @MaryAnnReilly (http://maryannreilly.blogspot.com/), who also aspires to found a school.
Finally, if you want to listen to a bunch of folks who are ALREADY serving as edu-leaders in the k12 space, you might find this list helpful: https://twitter.com/butwait/school-leaders
Hope that helps!
in peace,
Shelley Krause (@butwait)
PS: It might also help to try to consolidate your “handles” across multiple platforms (e.g. Twitter, Edublogs, Flickr, etc.)… helps for ppl to recognize you & form a unified sense of “you” from your various trails of breadcrumbs.
Wow! Thank you so much for such amazing and substantive feedback. I am awestruck not only by your willingness to give me commentary, but also by you taking the time to steer me in the direction of others who are making a difference. I am following everyone your suggested on Twitter (including you) and I have bookmarked everyone’s blogs. I am more than grateful for your help and I will definitely take your advice on finding a program to manage my “handles.” I’ve only been blogging a week, so my learning curve has been great. I didn’t write as much this week because I have been working on setting up my facebook page, my twitter, and setting up my actual blog for readership. Anyone who says bloggging is not real work is delusional. I have been put through my paces and am excited by the results so far. Thank you, again.
You are most welcome!
I’m not sure there’s a program that can consolidate your handles, but you might be able to change your Twitter handle to match your edublogs account, or vice versa. In either case, it helps to think about everything from a “how do I help a newcomer to my work get oriented” perspective… something that I STILL forget to do enough of sometimes. Best wishes!
Great advice. I was trying to coordinate my accounts, but I’m running into trouble cause my handles are not available on each sight. However, I haven’t given up on the idea.