New Year, New Challenges

Well, with this new year comes the need to seek out some ways to support my desire to continue growing. As 2017 starts, I have many revamped goals--in other words, goals that I have set in the past but not been terribly good at completing.  That list includes blogging.  But this year, I have a new approach, and one that I think will allow for a greater level of success.

I started my blog a few years ago as a result of attending a CUE Rockstar camp session led by the amazing Jen Kloczko.  Over the last few years, I have seen my efforts wax and wane.  So, when I stumbled across the #edublogsclub challenge, I saw an opportunity to reinvigorate myself and commit to blogging again.  I even roped in a colleague and friend (@techbiobek).  As with all goals, there is a greater chance of success when there is accountability.

I have done blogging challenges before, such as the Connected Educator blogging challenge, and found them to be helpful and inspiring.  I trust that this will be no different. Despite the fact that I have had my blog for a few years, my inconsistency with writing still has me more in the "newbie" camp than the "veteran" camp.  No matter.  I like the idea of getting back at it from a slightly different angle. I started my blog in order to trace my learning curve as a new administrator.  That, however, has not been the path my musings have taken.  Rather, I feel that it is more a reflection on being an educator in this rapidly changing world. So, I look forward to the prompts, to the challenge of blogging more regularly, and to getting to know some awesome people through the process.

I am also very excited to improve my blogging skills by writing more and getting feedback along the way.  For those of you who have been at this for a while, do you ever wonder if you are speaking to an empty room?  I know that the goal for myself was not so much to develop a following as to reflect.  However, reflecting is better when there is dialog.  I love when someone questions my ideas.  That forces me to take a harder look at what I am trying to convey. When there isn't that discussion, I am left wondering if anything that I said resonated with any of those "hits". If not, what am I missing?  how can I change my thinking?  how can I change someone else's thinking? What new thinking can we create together? These are questions that I hope to answer this year with this challenge and new community.

Here's to a new year, new challenges, and new learning!