The last post (I think…)

The first post on this blog was written in 2009. It was titled ‘Disturbing the Calm’, a concept which underpinned my vision and my work long past the original context. Despite the obstacles in the way of radical transformation of education, I believe that change can happen one idea at a time, one conversation at a time, as long as we are open to reimagining possibilities.

Over the years I have kept to the commitments I made at the outset. My blog would primarily be a space for sharing my own reflections and practice; I would write in my own voice and minimalistic style; my blog would reflect my inquiries so I would often have more questions than answers; it would always be about learning.

While I’m not especially proud of some of the posts that have been most popular with readers of this blog, the ideas behind the most enduring posts remain meaningful and relevant. I wrote ’10 Ways to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning’ before agency became a buzzword and I really understood its nuances. ’10 ways to gain your students’ respect’ was an instinctive response long before I explored the notion of contextual wellbeing. I wrote about ways to build a reflective culture in students and teachers before I knew the power of coaching and reflective conversations.

There have been times along the way when I lost the writing habit, second guessed myself, wondered if I had anything left to say… and then got back on track albeit less and less frequently.

I feel honoured to still receive appreciative messages from educators who read my blog even though I haven’t posted in almost a year. Online content is often fleeting, but apparently some of the things I have shared still hold value and provoke thinking.

For months I’ve been thinking about writing a final closing post and this might be it… I think.

Edit: A long time reader and friend has messaged to ask if I’m ok. Deciding to stop writing on this blog is not an indication to the contrary! I’m retiring from my school role and heading into other things 🙂