My absence from and eventual return to blogging is not an uncommon subject for my posts; indeed, here I am again, recommitting to making more time for deliberate written reflection. My goals now aren't necessarily the same as they have been in the past.
For one thing, while I'm sure some posts will focus on my use of technology in the classroom, it's not my sole area of focus. I'll be focusing more broadly on 21st century teaching, which I've come to strongly believe has more to do with approach and philosophy than it does with devices and applications.
Additionally, I'd say that I have a more personal aim. The school where I work now has been integrating mindfulness daily for over a year, and I've embraced more deliberate reflective practices in my classroom. Looking back and working to express my observations and conclusions meaningfully is one way I can practice the thoughtfulness and attention I know is so critical to true engagement.
Before I began writing about my return, I reviewed some of my older posts, and it was both thrilling and a little frustrating to see that so many of the concerns on my mind a few years ago are still relevant to me now. Even among the drafts that I've yet to publish are half-started pieces about things I just had conversations about last week at lunch.
My work is cut out for me.
