
Being a reflective person, I decided I want my tenth set of ten to be a reflection on the blogging experience so far. Here are my Ten Ways I Have Grown as a Teacher from Blogging!
1. Blogging has reminded me of the need for teachers to share. I've been lucky to become acquainted with lots of other teacher bloggers. (Much of this is due to Charity Preston's Teaching Blog Traffic School, which has given me most of the inspiration and knowledge that I have about this blogging stuff!) Chatting with other teachers and exchanging ideas and strategies makes teaching so much easier as well as so much more fun. Within the blogging community, there are incredible teachers who are more than willing to share ideas. It's always been my philosophy in teaching to share ideas with anyone who asks. Unfortunately not all teachers feel this way, but I'm always honored when others like my ideas. I'm also enthusiastic about helping ALL children learn, not just my own class. I've never been in this for the personal glory, I'm in this for the kids.

2. I've made teacher friends around the world, at many different grade levels. As I mentioned, there are plenty of teacher bloggers in this teacher blog community. Now although I've never met many of these people, I know a lot about them! Between reading their blogs, and following their tweets, facebook pages, and Pinterest pages, I feel they are friends. Yikes, that almost sounds like I'm a stalker! I'm really just a person who enjoys getting to know people, especially teachers! We share a common bond. As a lover of social studies, when a place comes up in conversation or in a book, I can tell the kids... I know a teacher from ... and the kids are thrilled! (Brain research teaches us the importance of making those connections!)



6. Putting myself in the place of the learner forces me to think about learning. As a teacher, I know what it's like to want the learner to learn. As a learner, I can remember the challenges, frustrations, and successes of the learning process. Since blogging involves a lot of learning, it gives me a stronger connection with my students: I know what it's like to be them!

7. I've been making better materials for my own students. I've always made things for my students. Of course, all teachers do this. But now I find myself making things with a little more care, thinking that there must be other teachers out there who could also use this. I find myself thinking, how could I make this so that more levels could use it, or so that larger groups could participate, or how could a teacher differentiate for lower/ higher students. So I make it a little more detailed, with a little more thought, and I put it up on Teachers Pay Teachers as a freebie for anyone who might be able to use it. Then I find myself looking at other materials on the same topic, looking for ways to improve upon it even more!

8. I have plenty of free teaching materials at my fingertips. Sites such as Teachers Pay Teachers, Classroom Freebies, several Pinterest boards and several teacher blogs I visit (see The Cornerstone for Teachers) are constantly giving out freebies. I'm always amazed by how many games and activities teachers make that practice and develop the same skills my kids are working toward. There's a whole lot of great stuff out there, and most of it is free! The more I explore teacher blogs, the more I know exactly where to find just what my kids need! (If I can't find it, I'll make it, and share it with someone else!)


How has blogging or blog hopping affected your teaching?
Great list! I agree wholeheartedly with all of them :)
ReplyDelete~Stephanie
Teaching in Room 6
Thanks Stephanie!
DeleteSally
Oh my goodness - I so agree with all of your points! You've hit upon exactly what I LOVE about blogging! 'Tis a wonderful community!
ReplyDeleteJen
Runde's Room
Thanks, Jen, I agree, it's a wonderful community!
DeleteSally
I have awarded you the Liebster award. You have a great blog. Congratulations! Go to my blog to see what to do in order to grab your award!
ReplyDelete~Meagan~
oodlesofteachingfun
Thanks, Meagan, that's fabulous! I really appreciate it.
DeleteSally
What a great post! Thank you so much for sharing especially about the brain-based teaching website. I have been studying this topic a lot!
ReplyDeleteMrs Poland
Think, Wonder, & Teach
Thanks so much! I'm always glad to share!
DeleteSally
I absolutely agree that blogging has made me a better teacher. It has been about a year since I started my blog and it has blossomed into an intricate network that now includes Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Skype, Pinterest, and much more. I keep running into some of the same people in each network. It is amazing how easy it is to share and learn with teachers from all over the world! Thanks for sharing this :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's amazing how easy it is to share with teachers from all over the world. And it's fun!
DeleteSally
Thanks for this inspiring post! I pinned it as it is excellent. Thanks, Carolyn
ReplyDeleteCarolyn,
DeleteThanks so much for pinning me!
Sally
Loved reading about your 10 things you gained from blogging. Head over to my new 2nd grade blog if you get a chance! http://secondgradeperks.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteHeather,
ReplyDeleteThanks! I enjoyed visiting your blog!
Sally