My Three "R's"

Read more slices at
Two Writing Teachers

Recharge   Refocus   Reach.

It has been ten days since my last post.  I needed to take some much needed time away from blogging.  Taking this time has given me time to recharge, refocus, and reach.

RECHARGE

Remember when you were in college and the last three weeks of the semester the professors thought they needed to make everything due and test you in every class right before finals?

That is how I feel right now!  Something had to take the back seat and unfortunately, it was blogging.

So many activities happen at the end of the school year:  field trip, talent show, awards, presentations. It is nice to be able to start crossing off items on my list.  Each item marked off my list seems to help keep me going.  I am recharged and ready to spend these last few weeks of school making memories with my students.

REFOCUS

I started my blog a year ago today!  I am amazed at how this decision has added so much to my life, especially my teaching life.  The connections that I have made travel well beyond the walls of my classroom and my school.  Teaching can be a lonely profession, but blogging and Twitter has made my world so much bigger.  Living in southern Indiana, I never dreamed of connecting with teachers all over the world and being a part of this community.

Look at the title of my blog - A Day in the Life...of a teacher, a reader, a writer.  I have always been a reader, but I have also grown as a reader this year.  Sharing books has opened my mind, my heart, and my world of reading.  I have become a better teacher of reading because of it.

Writing on my blog, especially the March Challenge, has literally changed my life as a writer.  It has given me confidence to share my words.  It has given me authentic writing lessons to share with my students.  I have been in the trenches - I now have mentor texts of my own to share with my students.  I have become a better teacher of writing because of it.

But I want more!

My teaching has also improved, but I have not shared much of my life as a teacher on my blog.  I want to become more reflective.  I want to share what I do in my classroom, which is just as scary (if not more!) as sharing my writing.

I am not sure if I have any new ideas, but I just want to inspire teachers to "think differently" about a teaching practice or a new way of doing something.  I want to open the doors of my classroom and let others come in, take a peek, and share ideas. 

I have been asking myself in what direction do I want my blog to go.  Do I need to make a change?  Start another blog?  What do I want to do as a reader, a writer, a teacher?

I am still refocusing, but I a clearer picture is starting to appear.   I look forward to sharing some of this as we move into summer.

REACH

This year I have accomplished things I never dreamed of doing.  

• starting my blog
• blogging in my classroom
• tweeting
• writing for Nerdy Book Club 
• presenting PD sessions for teachers in my corporation
• becoming a Next Chapter Book Club coordinator

But I have things I still want to do.  I want to REACH.  

After this break and some soul searching, I am recharged, refocused, and ready to REACH.

I can't wait to see what year two has in store for me!