This is Danielle from Crayonbox Learning popping in to share WHAT to Blog about when your schedule is a hot mess. I came up with this topic on the FLY.. why? I was scheduled to write today, and I hadn't realized I was on THAT schedule. It has been so crazy in my life lately with back to school time, and my parent's BIG MOVE to the new farm next door, that I didn't have something written in advance.
When I realized I needed to come up with a topic for today, I felt like I hit a wall. My schedule is all over the place. That got me thinking about how that might actually be a common theme for many of you.
This summer, I think we all had really great intentions to get organized and be better about blogging. I saw a LOT of posts in Facebook groups asking what to write about. There are posts out there in Google land that are pretty clever, but I like to keep it a little simplified. Here's my Top 5 things to Blog about because my schedule is a hot mess!
Number 1 really should start with "must be accompanied by chocolate."
Everything will be O.K. :)
Breathe.
Write From your Heart !
Writing from the heart probably sounds like something a chick would say. A lot of you out there probably sit down to write a post and go through a lot of different emotions, and second guessing yourself trying to make sure that you have "The perfect photo," and the "perfect topic..." That's where I think many bloggers go wrong. When you're already stressed, the last thing you need is to add more stress trying to forcing yourself to write something that will produce a predetermined response. What are you passionate about? What ONE thing really gets you fired up about teaching, or working with kids, (or a relevant topic for the audience you're writing for).
Write about Life Experiences
Some of the best Blogs I have ever read were written from the perspective of a REAL, open and honest person. When you write about your life experiences, the words will flow because you've already been through it. Don't worry about how it looks or what others might think of the piece. Your readers will be thrilled that you shared a part of yourself with them, and know that there really is a real person behind that screen.
Write about an AHA Moment in your Career
As a teacher, coach, or mentor... I imagine that you experienced a moment or maybe a series of experiences that defined who you are as a teacher and/or role model. One of my many moments came in the mid-90's when I was working as a Director of a youth program. I was given the task of working with a young man that had been kicked out of every school, program, and his own mother had tried to kill him not once but 3 times. It was up to me to bridge the divide between the state, school officials, and the courts. I did it. I won't say that it was easy, but it was something that built the framework for my life. Every one of us has a story in us. What is ONE thing in your career that defined the path
Write about things that you see around you.
As a visual person, I LOVE to read posts that not only tell a story, but paint a picture. In this age of Instagram and Periscope, it is so much easier to snap a quick picture or capture a moment that otherwise would have been overlooked or forgotten about. I look at Instagram every day, several times a day. Ok I am becoming an Instagram Addict. The pictures and notes that appeal the most to me are those that are random. For example, a guy I don't know yet from a place I was familiar posted this funny (ok it was hysterical) small clip of a calf that was catching rain drops on his tongue. It was so random, and funny at the same time. Who ever knew a cow could tip it's head back like that? This silly calf had his tongue hanging half out of his head slurping up the rain drops as fast as he could. That would make a really fun writing prompt or story starter for your students! (Please tell me, I am not the only one that saw it?) If calves playing in the rain don't strike your fancy, take your phone out and just snap at random. Then when you get home go through them and find something funky, quirky or silly to write about. Come to think of it, that would make a really cool Link UP Series...!
Write a list of likes and dislikes.
You might think this is a stretch, and it might be. One page on my Blog that has always attracted a LOT of views and response is about my own likes and dislikes. So much so that I've had other Bloggers contact me and tell me that they were happy to read it because they found out we had a lot of similarities. It starts the conversation. The idea behind any good Blog post is to get people thinking, and talking. What better way to do that is to talk about what you like and don't like.. it can be about foods you eat (or don't eat), favorite beverages, cocktails, neighbor guy, UPS man, or online store? The cool thing about this topic is that it can be short or long, and you don't have to spend a lot of time contemplating what to write because you've already had a lifetime of composing it.
I hope that you made it this far, and that these "TIPS" will help you with your Blogging when your own schedule is a hot mess. If you'd like to follow me on Instagram, my link is: http://www.instagram.com/crayonboxlearning. If you write a post using one of these tips, please leave me a comment. I'd love to check it out!
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