What Blogging in 2020 Taught Me

2020: The record high teaching anxiety of the year somehow transmuted into blog posts with record high views. No joke. In 8-1/2 years of blogging, 4 of my top 10 are now from 2020, including the #1: “7 Things I Learned Starting a School Year Online.” That was the most remarkable bit of data that emerged from my traditional review of the year’s blogging. (Here are the links for reviews of 2019, 2018, and 2017.) As I continued to reflect, I found that while my reasons for blogging have stayed the same, everything has taken on new dimensions in this strangest of years. 

Over those last 8-1/2 years, I’ve become almost addicted to weekly blogging. Sitting down on a Saturday afternoon to really hash through with myself something that’s gone on during the week has become core to what I do as a teacher. 

• For myself: It’s an opportunity to articulate what did or didn’t go well and why, or simply to hold myself accountable to having done something during each week worth reflecting on. 
• For my students: It has solidified my own identity as a writer, so that when I teach writing, I’m speaking from experience. 
• For community: I need a place to share my teaching attempts, successes, struggles, growth, a place I can offer and receive help and encouragement.

However, 2020 scooted me way out of my comfort zone, challenging me to grow not only in a new mode of teaching (online), but also in new grade levels (middle school) and new field (adding ESL to English language arts). March and April were anxious months (the blog evidence: I only wrote 2 posts each month), but looking back over the top 6 posts of 2020, I can see how I’ve grown. Here they are: 

1. “7 Things I Learned Starting a School Year Online” (July 24; 2,338 views) Having moved to Japan to start a new school year in April, and starting it online, I’d already been through what American teachers were dreading. I was delighted that what I was able to share apparently filled a need!
2. “Hexagons Spur Creative and Collaborative Thinking!” (October 3; 570 views) “Hexagonal thinking” has been featured on 2 blogs I follow and used widely in the Creative High School English Facebook group. That encouraged me to try this excellent way of showing and promoting the thinking skill of making connections. And I could fold my blog back into the discussion. If you haven’t tried this in a class, I highly recommend it.
3. “Resources for Teaching News/Media Literacy and Current Events”  (August 14; 455 views) This has been a growing interest of mine over the last 5 years, and the pandemic-election conjunction brought the need into sharp focus. I curated a list of resources over the summer, and saw many opportunities to share the post. What I really got a kick out of, though, was seeing someone I didn’t even know sharing it in answer to a question in the Creative High School English Facebook group. When somebody has found something I made helpful enough to pass on… 
4. “One Easy Exercise for Paying Attention to Language” (November 14; 423 views) Though I’ve always had ESL students in my English classes, targeting English language learners in a school setting has been a new experience. I want to really help them thrive—not just survive. Larry Ferlazzo’s book The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox has been an amazing resource. I’ve committed to trying one new strategy from it per week. When I blog on it, I share it in ESL teachers K-12 Facebook group. It’s been great to be able to glean ideas from this community and to finally have something to also give back! 
5. “Creating Classroom Community Remotely: My Best Practice” (May 9; 375 views) Another post relative to online learning. NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) asked permission to share it on their blog. I’m thankful for the little successes in the steep learning curve on online teaching, and for the ability to plough back into the connected educators’ community a little of the value I’ve gotten from it. 
6. “Prompting Fluency in Writing for ESL Students” (October 30; 274 views) Another idea from Larry Ferlazzo’s book. The really fun thing here was that a teacher I’ve never met from the ESL teachers K-12 Facebook group asked to use a blog post I’d written in a Youtube video she was doing. I find that kind of educator synergy so energizing!

The long and the short of it? 2020 has grown my online community, and grown my teaching repertoire. Thanks especially to all the members of the Facebook groups ESL teachers K-12 and Creative High School English. Those communities helped immensely. And it’s okay with me if I don’t have to grow quite as much in 2021, but it’s good to know it was possible.