Are you on the platform? What are you waiting for? Are you ready and willing to buy a ticket to the destination of your choice? How serious are you about getting there?
I really like the ‘platform’ analogy we talked about in today’s Solution Focus coaching master class and it makes me realise that I’ll never get back on the blogging train, unless I buy a ticket and get off the platform!
In the past, writing was a vehicle for reflection. Blogging was an avenue for distilling the essence of learning experiences, documenting the process of learning, testing ideas and theories, questioning, probing, provoking , identifying issues, exploring possibilities and sometimes getting on people’s nerves.
I often encourage others to blog, highlighting the value of sharing your practice and amplifying your learning. I stress that perfectionism holds you back. ‘Just write what you want to say in your own voice, without over-thinking and click ‘publish’, I tell them. ‘Write for yourself, not for an audience.’
Yet here I am, pacing the platform, mulling over the reasons for not buying a ticket and getting back on the blogging train.
Is it because writing is a habit and I’ve lost the flow? Is awareness of my increased audience inhibiting me, because I can no longer simply write for myself, in my own voice and click ‘publish’, without caring what anyone thinks? Have I been muzzled by the knowledge that saying what I think sometimes gets me into trouble, because people identify themselves in the issues raised? Or is it simply that I’ve said what I need to say and it’s time to put down my ‘pen’ ?
In the spirit of today’s master class, I’ll let go of the reasons for the problem and focus on positive change instead. One of the coaching strategies we practised was identifying the issue of concern and giving it a name. I’m calling mine ‘Write or wrong’… I’m buying a ticket and moving off the platform back onto the blogging train to see what happens.
It will either be wrong for me… or write.
What Ed Said 
Dear Edna,
Please keep blogging. I love hearing your voice and your mulling and musings. I love getting an insight into what teachers at your school are thinking and engaging with. Your words are inspiring, but perhaps only because you are just writing about what is happening in your teaching world, not because you are writing to make any profound statements. Your words are challenging and provocative – in a good way. They (you) help me to reflect on my own practice and ways that I can change, learn, grow, improve. Thank you for all the sharing that you do.
Kind regards,
Libby Renton
PS I have hesitated for a moment about whether to send this or not, but in the spirit of you post, I have decided to just write my response, as my immediate reaction to your post, and hit ‘send’
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Thank you, Libby! I’m glad you hit ‘send’ and appreciate your comment immensely 🙂
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I would be very disappointed if you chose not to blog because you felt others might be confronted by what you have to say, or that caring what others think over-rides the value of what you have to share. As a leader I’ve learnt (unfortunately, at times), that if I was to constantly worry about how I will be viewed or judged, I might not share something that someone could find useful or that challenges thinking and engenders rich discussion. Your posts have often caused me to reflect on what I see around me, and on my own practice, and that is a wonderfully positive spin-off to you being ‘on the train’!
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Thanks, Julie. At my stage of life, I really don’t care about being judged! Let’s see where things go…
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I just wanted you to know how much I have enjoyed reading your posts, they have provided me with many learning opportunities. Keep going! When you decide you have finished remember how many teachers you have inspired to keep learning and teaching to their very best.
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Love your posts! I recently started blogging and question the time it takes up and/or takes away from other ‘stuff’. My motivation was giving back something to the online community that I had taken and learnt so much from. I’m trying to write posts that people can read quickly and take away a practical idea to implement in their classroom. Early days – hoping to keep up the momentum!
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Love your title ‘From worksheets to wondering’ 🙂
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I like the platform analogy. I wonder if we miss the destination at times, getting caught at the platform as if it were the only thing that counts. http://readwriterespond.com/?p=2433 What I love about reading blogs overtime are the destinations we travel too.
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Hi Edna
I’ve also been publishing a lot less these days. I wonder if the lack of others blogging also inhibits writing. So often we respond to what we’ve read either directly or indirectly. So Glad to see you taking that ride again.
Stephanie
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Just write Edna, some of us just love to read.
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Nobody is convinced you’ve said what you need to say yet, Edna!
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Always read your posts Ed. Always take something away that makes me ponder and wonder…
Please keep making us ponder and wonder…
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You could write about what you had for lunch and I would still read your blog! Please take off the “what will they think muzzle” and keep writing. Your thought, ideas and provocations are appreciated.
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Your post has inspired me to take the ticket . I had been caught up with personal and other priorities . I will get regular with writing.
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I continue to struggle to buy a ticket… That said, you continue to inspire…
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Hi Edna,
Your post really struck a chord with me, so much so that I went to my blog and looked at the statistics. What I noticed was that from 2010-2012 I was publishing around 250 posts a year, but then from 2013-2015 it was more like 150, and then last year only 85. I’m also wondering what has caused this decline. It’s especially odd because in 2012 I moved to my current school where I’ve been learning more and thinking more than ever before – and yet writing less. When I think about the first 3 years of blogging I realise that I blogged a lot because I was in a “difficult” school and needed to reach out to others around the world who felt the same way as I did otherwise I would go crazy. Perhaps that need was less when I was actually working in a more vibrant and dynamic environment – and yet I feel guilty writing that because probably the need to share all these good, new ideas is actually more important now!
You do raise an interesting point however – does blogging about your own school (which obviously involves some critical thinking and asking “can we do better?”) raise some people’s hackles who see critical thinking as criticism? This was the case in my last school and all I can say is that thank goodness I did carry on writing as eventually I ended up in a better place.
So like you I’m making more of an effort now to “get back on the blogging train”. Thanks again for your inspiration!
Maggie
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Thanks, Maggie. Glad you identified 🙂
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