2013 VoyagerSopris Blog Contest Winner
By Alexandria Mooney
When I was little, like many others out there, I kept a journal. Having read books like The Diary of Anne Frank and Zlata’s Diary, I too wanted to write down my thoughts. It was mostly the ramblings of my 10-year-old self, which segued into the drama that was my middle school years. To me, writing was therapeutic; when I wrote something down, I felt better.
It was great to be able to look back upon my entries and see exactly what I was thinking or feeling at that age. Fast-forward to now: I still am “journaling,” but in today’s terms this is called “blogging.”
I’m going to make a bold statement, but one I believe needs to be said: educators need to write, or journal, or blog. Education is quite a different profession than most; it is ever-changing—new methods and techniques are evolving while others are dying out, and it is constantly in the limelight. Given these conditions, teachers need to document what’s going on in their own teaching worlds.
Now, I’m not saying everyone needs to publicly write about their teaching realms. This is definitely for some and not for others. What I am saying is that teachers need to write down their experiences—if for no one else, for themselves.
When I first started teaching about seven years ago, the district’s superintendent gave us each a journal and told us this exact thing: write. Write your feelings, frustrations, lesson ideas, general thoughts, ideas … anything, just as long as you’re writing. It was very Erin Gruwell-esque. She told us this would help us grow as educators. I took that to heart and continued to do it throughout my early years of teaching and to this day (although not in that journal; I turned to Blogger to share my thoughts, ideas, lessons, and much more).
My teaching blog I have today is only from the past few years; those early years of blogging I decided were for my eyes and my reflection only. However, I am so thankful I have them to look back upon and really look at what I did as an educator in my early years. Writing in this dynamic profession is something that I really urge new teachers to do when I speak to current student teachers every semester. Having this outlet for your thoughts, experiences, lessons, ideas, frustrations, and so much more is immensely beneficial to you as an educator. It allows you to get your thoughts down (instead of just letting them build up—and sometimes forgetting them—in that jam-packed educator’s brain!). Writing lets you access and reflect on your thoughts later, and share them if you so choose (you never know who’s thinking or experiencing or questioning the same things as you!).
A few years ago I decided to make a new blog, Mrs. Mooney’s Teaching World, and make it public. I wanted to share with others what was going on in my classroom in hopes that perhaps someone else could benefit from a lesson idea or topic they snagged from my blog. I find ideas from others’ blogs all the time and wanted to do this in return.
Not only does this blog provide me a great spot to reflect on what my students (and myself!) are doing in the classroom, but it also doubles as a digital syllabus as to what activities, lessons, and projects I did that year. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve looked back at my blog to refresh my memory as to what project or activity we did with a particular unit. Plus, it keeps parents informed about what’s going on in my class.
I cannot emphasize enough the immense benefits of writing and reflecting for educators. Whether you’re a brand new teacher or a seasoned educator, start writing! Or, if you already are, awesome—keep it up! Your future self—and future of education—will thank you.
Alexandria Mooney is a seventh/eighth grade social studies and technology teacher at Maplewood-Richmond Heights Middle School in St. Louis, Missouri. She has a bachelor’s in secondary education and history, and a master’s in educational technology. In 2012 she became a Google Certified Teacher. Visit her at: http://mooneyclasses.blogspot.com/
