KEEP CALM it’s only PRESEASON #BlogAMonth

This post is a part of #blogamonth monthly blog challenge. The 2017-18 school year has begun for me and for others it is fast approaching. Join this “edu-couragement” community for monthly reflecting and commenting led by @UGAFrank.
But for now, this is “Pre-Season #blogamonth.

This intersects nicely with another educationally-focused blogging challenge I am participating in, #ETCoaches Blogging Buddies. Both have a minimum of a monthly post and encourage commenting between posters. So for my “pre-season” post I made sure to stop by the blogs of

my blogging buddies which have posted recently: JP Prezzavento, Tara Waudby, and Erin Gerdes, and made a comment.

An Open Letter To Teachers From Your Students

Is a combination of student’s responses neatly arranged as a letter from students to teachers. My favorite phrase is “You need to earn our respect just like we need to earn yours.” I think kas much as technology has evolved into a student expectation, so has a different relationship between teacher and student. Nice post JP!

SUMMER DAZE INFOGRAPHICS: BUILDING INDEPENDENCE & AGENCY @ HOME

Tara writes a nice piece about how she created and uses an infographic at home during the summer with her young child. I was inspired (and still am) to do something similar with my boys. However, I was also inspired to think about training teachers. How I might use an infographic differently than I had been in the past? This stoked my creative fires at work resulting in an infographic to report out results from a recent training. Thanks for the inspiration!

TCEA #TOTS & TECHNOLOGY 2017

Erin shares about her recent state conference TCEA Tots & Tech (cute name) and how she cements relationships she makes in advance of conferences. When I think about how I started my teaching career this is such a wonderful journey we are on; we find our kindred spirits *before* we actually meet them. Teacher conferences in the golden age of social media are so much more powerful and are a chance to further a relationship with someone you have not met face-to-face YET. We are so fortunate!

Commenting on the blogs of others is a great way to make online connections with a more indepth impact than social media alone. Commenting is a great entry point to the educational blogging world online. It reinforces the craft of educational blogging and nurtures a community which has the potential to grow and support you moving forward in your career. Consider joining a group of educational bloggers moving into this year.

When you are ready to blog, check out my post Blog Challenges for Educators.

See you at #blogamonth regularly after the Pre-Season!