Jumping In with blogging

I'm the first to admit--I am consumed by teaching--and I mean that in a good way. I voraciously read the newest professional books and am always re-evaluating and analyzing my practice. Teaching is always on my brain in most of my activities--while shopping, Can I use this in my classroom?--while reading the newspaper, This is a great article to use for..... and so on and so on. Sometimes I think I am compulsive and need to shut off my teacher brain, at least for part of the summer, but then I find something else interesting that captures my teacher attention and away I go!

I also spend hours on the computer and can weave my way through amazing project ideas, posts and teaching networks. I receive daily, weekly and monthly email messages and newsletters with teaching tips and ideas, zen relaxation practices, research updates and best practices in teaching. I have bookmarked sites I want to revisit, created a folder with all of my accounts and passwords and have even hand-written all the usernames and passwords in case my computer ever crashes.

While I am fascinated and excited about how all of this can impact and change my teaching, I must admit, most of the time I feel overwhelmed with the possibilities. I fluctuate between feeling quite proficient in using a tool new to me, to feeling like I am just scratching the surface of technology and should be including and doing more.

So why am I jumping in and starting yet another piece of technology that I need to check, record profiles and think about? Well, I came across another teacher's blog and found it inspiring. I found it thought-provoking and yes, another springboard for my teaching ideas.

But more importantly, I am excited about starting to follow other teachers' blogs. I can't wait to learn more and hear about how others engage and inspire students. I'm an 'idea person' and get SO excited when I read about a project that I know just fits my style--like A Global Read Aloud. I can't wait to participate. This project, by the way was started by the teacher whose blog I was so inspired by. Thanks P.Ripp!

So here I go, jumping into the blogging experience. I have a feeling I better hold on tight!