Happy to finally get this started! [1]
This blog is dedicated to my many trainees, former and future, and to all of the hard-working teachers I know, who still believe teaching is a force for change in today’s society!
I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a long time, but every time something else came up and I found myself absorbed in other work. Until COVID, I did not have either the time or the energy to really get down to it. I started writing a couple of blog posts and then I let it fizzle away, finding a good many reasons why I could not keep it up, why I would not find the time to maintain the blog – let alone writing new posts, etc.
When COVID happened, we were all forced to hit the brakes and take a hard look at what we’ve been doing, whether we liked it or not. Luckily for me, this coincided with the end of a very hectic period in my work life, which involved long hours, intensive work and high levels of stress (if this reminds you of a teacher’s typical working life, it was!). So, I just had to listen to the quiet and could not avoid re-evaluating my priorities.
Since I was forced, like everyone, to do with much less (company, freedom, stimuli, security), I began to see what actually mattered to me much more clearly and easily. I always knew that, apart from feeling some sense of financial security, I was not in this field for material rewards or prestige. I always felt happiest when I was able to contribute to a team, support and nurture, help others see their potential and connect to people. I know that many of you feel the same about teaching and understand what I mean. And I decided to connect with you in this way.
This is not to say that exposing myself to the blogosphere came easy to me. I do not have an exaggerated opinion of myself or my abilities. I know what I can offer and what I cannot, and I also know that I feel passionate about many things in our profession, and I wanted to share this passion. I expect that some people may not agree with my opinions or may not find my content useful. But I’ve happily reached the stage in my life at which I no longer care. This blog is for people who approach teaching in a positive mindset, targeted towards growth. It is not a blog about haters of any of the many shortcomings we all face in our field. So, this is what to expect here:
- Practical ideas about teaching materials and using tech tools
- Tips and suggestions on how to approach your training and professional development
- Methodology content, based on interactive posts (more about that later)
- Passionate opinions strongly held – although still strictly personal!
Those of you who know me personally, and many of you do, also know that I am talkative, enthusiastic, and genuinely interested in everything new in our field. Therefore, no fear of running out of content! But what is more important is that I’m not starting this blog simply in order to hear my own voice reverberating in the blogosphere! I’m actually interested in reaching out to you and connecting with you. This is why all my blog posts will finish with questions for you, and I really do hope you take the time and drop a few lines in the comments, responding to these questions.
So, let’s get this tradition started:
- What would you like to see in this blog? Which of the above areas interest you the most?
- How has COVID changed your working life, especially in relation to online teaching (but not only)?
[1] (Yes, I know I used a split infinitive: please don’t tell Sheldon!)
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