Reflections from an Art Education Blogger

See all those smiling faces in the photo?  Everyone in this picture is a blog author.  This is just a small chunk of all the amazing art educators who share their expertise on their own personal blogs.  This picture was taken during the Art of Education's Blogger Meet and Greet during the National Art Education Association's 2016 convention in Chicago.  Some of the faces you may recognize, but these are the many faces behind blogs that you may be familiar with!

I've heard many times throughout the convention from attendees that it was awesome to place "a face to the name."  Once they hear the blog name, their faces lit up as if they were meeting celebrities.

"Oh my Gosh!  That's Cassie Stephens!"

"There's a Dragon in the Art Room???  I LOVE that blog!!!"

"So you're Art is Basic!  I use your lessons all the time!!!"

"Mini Matisse?  I've learned so much from her!!!"

"No Corner Suns?  I LOVE that name! I love the lessons!!"

The Art of Education have been hosting the Blogger Meet and Greet for a few years now and this is the first one I've been able to be a part of.  It was so inspiring to be around so many art educators who love to share their passion as much as I do.   With being around so many inspiring faces, I wanted to share a little encouragement for those of you considering on starting your own blog, website, or entering into the blog and social media atmosphere.

We are all just like you: first year teachers, early professionals, veterans, and retired art educators.

Even though we may be leaders in our field, we still work everyday just like you.  We are all hardworking professionals, moms, dads, grandparents, artists, and ambassadors.  Yes, we do need our sleep as well! Not one blogger acts above their station.  We love meeting other educators and bouncing ideas from one another.

We share what we learn, and we learn from sharing.

Just because we bloggers are sharing our opinions and ideas, it does not mean we set our standards in stone.  When I find a method that works in my classes, I love sharing to see if my method works for others.  From sharing my ideas with this blog, I have in return learned so much from others who teach in similar situations and I continue to adapt my practice to refine my skills as an art educator.  As the great Michelangelo had said...

I am still learning.

Many times I've shared methods that have worked in the past in many situations, but have not in others.  As educators, we are constantly adapting to our surroundings and trying to find what works best in our situations.  I am grateful to know many other bloggers have so many inspiring ideas that I can try out for my students.

We encourage you to take the next step.

Starting your own blog may be scary, but if you take that first step in creating your own, you will never regret it.  Having a blog is not only a great resource for others, but it documents your own growth as well.  It also works as a great tool to provide evidence for teacher evaluations, especially in reflecting on your own practice as an educator.  You are also not required to post at specific times! Every blogger has their own life to live; kids to raise, personal activities to attend to, as more.  Posting at your own pace is perfectly fine!

If you are interested in starting your own blog or website, I encourage you to check out this post from Edutopia to help you get started!