Getting stuff down...

So, here goes

I have on several occasions attempted to write a blog, but it never comes to fruition because of a number of different reasons, none of which are particulary important right now. What is important, is that I've begun to write at last. Perhaps, actually, I should start with what normally hinders my progress, because looking at the barriers might provide insights (or not, but at least it means I've published something onto the net)

1. Titles

Every blog must have a title and a URL to go along with the title. Now, I've tried to come up with titles, but generally they are either taken, or when I do get one that works, it's really lame. The title I've chosen for my blog now is CLERPS, which is a concept that I got from my friend and mentor Nigel Bakker. It works thus:

C = Colour
L = Laughter
E = Exaggeration
R = Rhythm
P = Pattern
S = Symbol

All of these different concepts form what helps to make lessons interesting and conducive to learning. This makes an apt title for my blog because firstly, I'm a teacher and things concerning education are of interest to me and will most likely dominate what I write about; secondly, I am currently on a bit of a journey to include more of these things in my life and this will also filter into my writing, I imagine and thirdly, it wasn't already taken.

2. Faffing

I'm quite prone to this. I tend to fixate my attention on what is not entirely important. Fixate is a good word, but obsess is even better. I will spend hours tweaking the column sizes and font colours until they are perfect and after subjecting myself to this, I become bored or too tired to write and consequently lose my motivation to write at all. With this blog I've changed the background (to a picture taken by my very talented cousin) and that's it. I'm getting down to putting words down. Granted, this will probably never be read by anyone, but it's serving as a kind of catharsis for me. That being said, if you are reading this, then be warned... there will be a lot of venting and philosophising... which leads me to my third and final barrier:

3. What do I write about?

So, I've already told you what I plan to write about, but I've always found that to be problematic, because while I find it terribly interesting, I find it unlikely that others will. Recently, however, I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to write this for me and even if no one else reads it, then it doesn't matter. When I was studying to be a teacher, we had to keep a journal during our practice sessions and I found the process to be very rewarding. After TP, though, I stopped doing it. Now that I've taught for a term, I can't help but feel that having a journal would have been tremendously beneficial. I guess I'll turn this into a journal which will compell me to keep writing and also to keeping my thoughts brief (I waffle and faff, you see).

So that's enough for now. I've put some text on a page in cyberspace. This may or may not be the start of great new things.