Instructify

If you are already a blogger, and you get a kick out of sharing your musings and findings on the web, then you’re already doing a great job. If you don’t blog, then here are a few reasons why you should start.

Understand Your Voice - Your voice (no, not that nails-on-the-chalkboard noise that comes out of your mouth every time you say something) is an important part of your identity. The more you write, the clearer that voice will become. You might even find that the voice in which you write is clearer and more easily understood than what you say out loud. Write now, and write often.

Understand Your Audience - As a teacher, you’ve already got a captive audience. But you probably say a lot of things on a daily basis that you have given little to no thought to. Blogging or journaling allows you to formulate your thoughts to a specific subject, and with the power of the web, puts it right in front of your audience’s face in a matter of moments. When you blog, you can say what you need to say as clearly as you need to say it. Blogging also allows a feeling of proximity and intimacy for the reader, and is more like a conversation than you think.

Vent - Got something you want to say? A public outburst could cost you your job, but formulate your opinions and thoughts into a well constructed blog post and others might feel your pain. Its certainly not a good idea to go publicly denouncing the principal as a bonehead, but you might find solace researching and suggesting best leadership practices so next time the poo hits the fan you can have a compelling argument.

Be Creative - There are no rules to blogging. There are guidelines and things that have worked for others in the past, but there is no right or wrong way to do it. If you have a strong enough voice and you know your audience and topic, then post away. Try something new, give in to cutting corners and color outside of the lines. You spend a lot of your day dealing with bureaucracy and structure, so live a little– make yourself laugh once in a while.

Reach Out / Keep Up - The blogosphere and Web 2.0 are happening. They are going to continue to happen and exist as long as there is electricity. And here’s some news for you: it’s all only getting bigger and more important. I’m not saying that there isn’t room for you here, you just owe it to yourself to stay connected. Blogging immediately throws you into the global environment, and is a great way to share and explore ideas with people all over the world.

Make Money - While I can’t speak from too much personal experience on this one, I know it’s possible. If your blog is successful, you can charge a pretty penny to advertise on your site. Likewise, if you are a great writer, you can always freelance write for existing blogs. Now might be the perfect time to quit your second job as a diner waitress.

Why Not? - Do you have anything to lose by blogging? Absolutely not. Blogger and Tumblr are just two of many intuitive and FREE sites that allow you to start writing and sharing your discoveries and ideas with very little hassle. If time is an issue, then maybe this could be an opportunity to find where you can cut a few minutes out of your day just to prove to yourself that you can do it. After all, you’ve seen all the reruns of 2 and a Half Men anyway, right?

The tools are there. You have a brain full of thoughts. You work hard teaching others all day, now its time to learn something for yourself. If you already know how and love to blog, we’d love to hear from you in the comments on how it has affected you and your teaching skills. -JEREMY S. GRIFFIN

(photo via DeclanTM on Flickr)