Here I Am

I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been thinking for the past couple of days about this post…but I can’t think of anything to write. Frozen in my failure, I want to quit, but I push through and show up here…even though it seems pointless. Who wants to read a blog post about nothing?

I begin to panic a bit…Have I “lost it”? My passion for blogging? My ability to blog? Why can’t I think of something clever? What do I have to say that anyone will want to read? (By the way, I’d have all of these answers if it was you asking the questions!) Should I quit? Give up? Accept defeat?

NO.

Instead, I show up.

Instead, I remember the words I said yesterday to my seventh-graders,

“Show up. It gets easier.”

Instead, I write and show grace to myself.

Instead, I remember that blogging is a muscle that I haven’t stretched in a while and I need to warm up, I need to take some deep breaths.

Here I am. Showing up to the page. I’m not entirely happy with what’s here, but it’s here. It’s about showing grit in moments of weakness. I’m here. I’m writing my story. Next time, it will be better…more interesting, maybe even funny…until then, I’m here.

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February 6

Blog Launch!

Friday was a big day in room 734. We launched our blogs. Sixth-grade writers are now sixth-grade bloggers. We’ve started later than ever…I was frustrated with the late start, usually, I like to launch blogs in the fall.

Everything was ready. I managed to procure a cart of laptops. Instructions were clearly published in google classroom. We were ready!

This day is one of my favorite days of the whole year. I know what my students are capable of and how creative they are, but by the end of this process…many of them know it too.

I guide them through the creation of the blog path (the URL) and the naming of the blog. I leave clear instructions for creating and submitting a post, but everything else is up to them.

My instructions are simple: PLAY. Discover. Investigate and share what you’re learning. For some students, those instructions are scary. They want to find the “right” answer and there is no right answer. Instead, they need to be persistent and collaborate to create a unique blog that represents them and their story.

Earlier I mentioned my frustration with beginning so late in the year. This is a brand new school and blogging was something that fell through the cracks for me. I was annoyed at myself for not following through on blogging in November. I tried to launch in December and January and found I wasn’t able to get it done, so here we are in February.

I noticed a big change in launching this year. Students were more confident in their problem-solving skills. They were able to work together and on day one they were working on some advanced blogging skills, like personalizing their blog and adding images they created themselves.

The energy in the room on launch day is palpable. There’s a buzz. Everyone is engaged and busy. I love the moans and groans I hear when I announce class is ending in 10 minutes or 8 minutes or 5 minutes. They don’t want to leave. “I can’t believe I made my own blog today.” That’s a statement I hear over and over again!

Some students have been blogging all weekend and a few even blogged on our snow day yesterday. They are sharing their stories. I’m proud. I love to read their blogs. Once we’ve blogged for a few days, we will open the blogs to the public. Audience motivates writers.

Interested in seeing some of what my sixth-grade writers created?!?! Here are a few screen shots…enjoy!