The Why and Wherefore of this blog...

Lifelong learning. Pursuit of excellence. Innovation. Big ideas. Reflection. Greater clarity. Leadership. Wisdom.

These are all words that come to mind when thinking about the "Why and Wherefore" of this blog. For this first post, I had to look up synonyms for the boring word "purpose" and decided on the folksy "Why and Wherefore" for this title, and then I had to look up the meaning of "wherefore" which means "for what reason." I am moved by the idea that if I do this - whatever this is - I will come out on the other end better. Maybe others will like it and it will generate a following that will generate change of a positive sort.

This is the hamster wheel work of a teacher - deciding on a goal, getting caught up in how to make it creative, interesting, and appealing to others, but sometimes getting more caught up in the frantic doing of something...anything...that we end up like the hamster - getting nowhere fast. I assume I will often wonder if I'm making any progress at all with this blog, caught up in the idea that if I really give it my best, really run as fast and furiously with it as I can, that I will have achieved something great at the end, not knowing where that is. That's what this is all about: learning to hop out of the wheel, really think about the destination, about the journey, about the purpose; to learn to go slowly, deliberately, with a clearer vision of where I am going. That is the why and wherefore of this blog.

It was inspired during a run yesterday (which means I haven't fully considered its purpose and merit, yet!) but the spawn of the idea was a lot of pure gold culled from the Audible version of Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov. I can't stop listening to it, but as I listen to more and more of it, I fear the sheer volume of ideas I must implement right now is going to result in failure to do any of it! I needed to come up with a way to mindfully employ, reflect, and share these ideas (and others) in logical, bite-sized pieces so that I can use them to become more effective over time. I hope to build a community that can share experiences, ideas, and wisdom. I hope it can be a source of humor and reassurance to new teachers. I've been a high school English teacher for eight years, now, and a university adjunct in communications, journalism, and technical communications before that. I have a lot of experience in which to anchor these ideas and prioritize, so in that way I am more fortunate than a new teacher who might be reading the same book. It is easier for me to predict how my students will respond ahead of time and hopefully navigate the hurdles that will inevitably arise. I am not afraid to fail. I am, however, afraid of not trying because of feeling overwhelmed as we teachers so often are. I hope this blog will lend Structure, Accountability, Wisdom, Courage, Direction, and Results.

Finally, I know that this blog will be a record of the kinds of obstacles and frustrations we teachers face - issues around grading, parental "involvement," technology, evaluations, unions, the pressures, the failures - but it will no doubt also be a record of the feel-good moments, the successes, the little victories, and what makes teaching great - besides those solid 6 weeks of summer when experienced teachers, anyway, are truly mentally away from teaching before today...August 1st...rolls around, and we begin the journey again. That is why I wanted to be sure to begin this blog today, prematurely, perhaps, because it is they day most teachers will tell you is the beginning of the new school year for us. We may not be required to be in our rooms yet, but we most definitely ARE in our rooms, even if we are home.

Caveat: I am an English teacher, but a busy one. I'm not promising that my posts will be eloquent or perfect. If I obsess over making sure it is all correct, it won't get posted. It also will sometimes, no doubt, reflect my personal responses to the politics of education, but I do not expect others to value what I value to the letter either.