I saw this phrase in my Twitter message box and laughed out loud!

 

If you’ve read this blog at all, you know that I’m no writer. I’m just some guy who puts a lot of words on a page, usually in some kind of order (or so I like to think) as a way to refocus my mind.  As this little experiment moves into it’s second year, I’m finding that if I don’t get a post or two done a week, I’m usually nervous about “what am I writing about” or something along those lines.

 

I do some of the things other bloggers do: I have my blog on my profile page via Twitter (shameless plug @AnIowaTeacher) and I usually post it up on a few hashtags.  Well, I had someone follow me, then ask me a number of questions about they about blogging.  We’ve had a couple of good conversations about the “why” of what I do, and it’s really forced me to think about what is it I want out of this little page of bits and bites.  This is a good exercise for any activity, that idea of reflecting, looking at what you are doing, and trying to find ways to make it better.

 

For me, as I write, I feel a sense of freedom, that my words, my thoughts carry some meaning beyond my classroom, my home, and the people that I care about and love.  They carry a power that I never quite realized before, and in a way, that inspires me to write more.  It has definitely inspired me to look at other people’s blogs, something I’d not done much of before I started writing.  However, in our most recent conversation, the question was asked about traffic.  As I said recently, I do look at my statistics, seeing how many views and how many days things are looked at. But that’s never been the main purpose of this writing.  The main purpose, as I’m coming to find out, is just making connections with people.  As I’ve become more comfortable with Twitter, I feel more comfortable asking people things, challenging what is said, while not always feeling the need to be part of every conversation.  With this blog, it’s much the same way, I want people to thinking, to question, to laugh or be angry at what I might write.  If I do that, then I know I’ve reached a more emotional, personal level in their soul.  That’s the level where the real conversations begin.

 

I hope as we continue to talk about blogging, I can convoy that part of why I write.  Blogging has become part of who I am, for better or for worse (both for me the writer and you the reader), but if I’m expecting my own students to open up, why shouldn’t I?

 

Am I a mentor? Ha, I laugh at that assumption.  However, if I can help someone spread their own wings, to take those first steps to opening their own writing up to an audience that is beyond their comfort zone, then maybe I have done the right thing! 🙂