As I think about this topic, many images and words come to mind as to why I do this and open myself up to the different places of the world.

  1. I write because it’s become a habit, and this habit is hard to break! I’ve been writing this blog for close to 6 years now. It’s a much a part of my weekly routine as having breakfast or getting gas for the car. If I don’t write, my brain feels it and I start to get a little edgy. I looked back, and these last three weeks have been the longest I’ve gone without a blog post since I started this blog.
  2. I write because it’s a way to express things that I could never say out loud. Yesterday, I posted something about my high school vocal music teacher and our current vocal music teacher. That blog was so painful to write, but felt good to push the words out, to see them on the screen, and click that publish button. Will many people read it? No. But I could just let the words (and the tears) flow in my home and classroom as I expressed just how much both of these influential women mean to me. I write because talking about these topics can be overwhelming, but writing about them, I can get up and take a break.
  3. I write to be a role model for my students. Almost daily, we are doing some kind of writing. Whether it’s writing answers to a story, it’s writing a blog about a topic, or even a free write Friday, I have them constantly working toward being better. If I expect this of my students, why would I not expect this of myself. At last count, I have 465 blog posts. Who even does that??  Someone who feels as though if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. So, another reason why I write, I want my students to see that yes, their teacher believes so much in this, he does it himself!
  4. I write to clean my mind. Many of my blogs aren’t always about education, but family, life, and just the struggles that a husband, father, son, brother, teacher, and uncle goes through trying to get by. I celebrate the good things and lament the sad, but it’s my way of cleaning out what needs to be cleaned out, and starting fresh.

So, four different class periods, each with six minutes of writing, and I’ve created this in front of my students. I know that some with write “because my teacher makes me” *insert eye roll here* but I’m looking forward to reading their reasons.

Why do you write? Please leave a comment and tell me why! 🙂