It seems now a days that every day is associated with some obscure holiday like National Hot Dog Day, or National Boyfriend Day. Today alone is National Suspenders Day and the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller! How does one celebrate that? Typically I don't pay too much attention to these daily holidays and go about my gaming like normal. However, there is something special about today that caught my attention and made me stop to think. Today is the national day for writing, and it true blogger fashion, I need to recognize this, and what better way to celebrate than to write! I was scrolling through Twitter this morning as I usually do, and I glanced over to what was trending for today. #WhyIWrite was the number one trending topic and it made me consider that very question. Why do I write? Why do I take the time to write this blog in hopes that a few hundred gamers like myself will take 10 minutes to read it? What do I get out of this process? Well, let me tell you! When I took a minute to pause my game and reflect upon #WhyIWrite, I realized that one of those reasons is reflection itself. In education there is so much talk about being reflective as a teacher, helping our students reflect and reflecting as entire systems on initiatives. Honestly, I think this is something that lots of people fail at. There are many days when I fail at this, not because I don't want to reflect, but because it takes time, planning and an avenue in which to deliver that reflection. Think of it like a gamer. Let's say you are playing Super Mario Bros 3 and you are trucking through a level when you die. Doesn't matter how, you may have fallen in a pit, fell victim to a Koopa or weren't quick enough to dodge a turtle shell. Most gamers will quickly enter the level again and try to be successful without really thinking about what happened. What if when you died, the game asked you a few questions about what happened and how you could improve upon the mistake next time? Do you think this would help you maintain your lives a little longer? I don't know the answer to that question, but it is worth considering. As a teacher we don't have those questions always built into our day. It is easy to end a lesson and pick up the next day with whatever is written down in our plan book without much thought. What if we built it a way to force us into that reflection? That is what blogging helps me to do. That is #WhyIWrite, and if we has teachers gain the discipline to reflect on our practices, it will only allow us an easier road towards helping our students to do the same. This blog serves many purposes, and though the reflective piece is for me, I also write in order to inspire others. It is scary to put a public product out for all to see. What will people think about my writing? Will they understand my off-kilter gaming references? Ultimately, if a reader can take one idea, or one thought and use it as inspiration, that is #WhyIWrite. I am not in the regular education classroom any more with my new job as an instructional coach. There are downsides to that, but there is one MAJOR upside. I get to work with 550 students rather than just a class of 20! My ability to inspire all students in a building is a huge motivational piece to this writing puzzle. Whether you understand the gaming references or not, I hope you can find at least one nugget of inspiration to broaden my 550 student reach to thousands! Like many gamers, I love a challenge. Levels that require no skill or thought, just don't do it for me. They don't add XP to my life or level me up in a meaningful way. When I decided to start writing this blog I knew that it would challenge me. I had never done anything like this before, and I never considered myself to be a good writer. However, I knew that if I wanted to make big changes in education one day, it needed to start with me making big changes for myself. The last reason #WhyIWrite is because it challenges me. I get so much joy and gratification from finishing a post and seeing the number of people who it can reach. When I complete something that is easy for me, it doesn't quite have the same effect. Much like finishing an extremely tough game or finding that rare artifact in a mission, the gratification from challenge is magnified. I encourage you to find that thing that challenges you, and dive in. It might be technology use, it might be blog or even allowing your students increased control in the classroom, but try it! There are people all around you that can guide you on your way.
Cheat Codes: BROYP-Be Reflective On Your Practice WHTIOABIY-Work Hard To Inspire Others And Be Inspired Yourself FACFTCOTC-Find A Challenge, Face The Challenge, Overcome The Challenge #WhyIWrite-To level up Why do you write? Taylor
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorGreetings Readers! My name is Taylor Arehart and I am a 6th year Educator in Excelsior Springs, MO. I have taught 3rd, 4th and gifted and talented, but now I am beginning a new adventure as an Instructional Coach. I have a huge passion for transforming education and giving students the 21st century skills they need to rock the world. I am writing about my journey of leveling up! Leveling up means to constantly look for ways to improve in teaching, learning and living. This means in the classroom with my students as well as in other areas of my life. I hope you enjoy reading about my journey (and my students' journeys) to reach our highest levels and rattle the stars! Archives
October 2017
Categories |