When my students say they don’t have anything to write about, I always say that writers write about what they know or what they do. Here I am, following my own advice.
I have a bunch of drafts that I still don’t feel like revising, so I thought I’d share a few recent stories and ideas.
Identity
Last week I discovered Vero Ruiz del Vizo, a Venezuelan who has inspired me to learn more about marketing and social media. Her podcast came to me at a perfect time to shake up (even more) my complex ideas on what to do about this blog. She talks about the importance of defining one’s identity as “what’s my story and what do I offer?” The question that resonated with me was, “why should I spend time interacting with your content?”
I don’t have the answer to that question really, which is why writing these “rants” makes sense for the time being. I wonder about it often, though. I write about education, my struggles as I write, and I also do a bit of journaling. Does it make sense to just blend all that in here and see if anyone is interested in reading? Should I also attend to that “language bug” that flies around me each time I start a draft? Should I write more in Spanish?
I don’t know. And I guess that’s ok for now. I’ll just keep listening to Vero and see how her ideas take root in my creative space.
People
A few days ago, I talked to a few of my colleagues about the way I use Twitter as an educator. I have offered this session many times before, and despite the usual technical updates, the message is always the same: Twitter is about content and connections.
There was, however, a new layer that afternoon. I found myself talking more about how teachers can celebrate each other using Twitter instead of using the tools as a vessel for meaningful and current content. The retweet button still holds that level of power because it goes beyond appreciation and one-way consumption.
I’ve been on Twitter since 2008, and only this year, I’ve started to let go of unnamed expectations for what my feed should be or what would get me more followers or retweets. Instead, I’m thinking of only three things when I go on it: giving back what I’ve learned, finding ideas that will make me twitch, and moving the wave of great educators with excellent views.
About Them
Lately, my students and I have been using this question in our morning meetings to help us think more about others. Instead of sharing what we do on weekends for example, we’re talking about who we’ve helped. At first, only a few shared, and as the days went on, more students recognized help they had helped others. They are now sharing details of how they helped and what it felt to be there and do something for someone.
My classroom has become a safe place for me and the place where I’m hopeful. Hopeful for what people can be and how I can contribute.
Start with a Story 