Why blog?

Posted by Andrea on March 21st, 2006 filed in Uncategorized

I’ve been reading alot of blogs lately that discuss the reasons why we blog. Thought I’d go ahead and put in my 2 bits…

Blogging for me�started out as a an attempt to hold myself a bit more accountable for what I do in our homeschool. At the time I started I was not as confident about our methods, materials, schedule, etc, and thought if I write it all out in public for the world to see, it would inspire me to do my very best. And it did help.

I am beyond that stage now, thankfully, having gained much confidence over�time and trial and error, and yet I keep blogging. Why blog now?

I think now it is my attempt to connect with the outside world a bit. I used to be a school teacher. I connected with the world all day (for way too many hours) and I am glad to be done with that life. But as a homeschooling mom, surrounded by my dear children, books, a computer, and craft projects all day, it can be a bit lonely at times. I wouldn’t trade the life for anything,�and certainly hope never to go back to teaching public school, but there is one thing I miss, and that is the professional comraderie between peers that I had with my fellow teachers. That sense of shared mission, shared struggles and triumphs, shared�coffee breaks�and chats around the copy machine.�I think that is what I am trying to get back with my blogging, and by visiting the blogs of other homeschooling moms. I want to tell someone (other than my husband) about lesson plans that worked out great, or not, about books that inspire, about all the daily doings of homeschooling. I want to�mine ideas�from others and share in their ups and downs, get a glimpse of�what life is like in other homeschools.I want conversation and batting ideas back-and-forth, and�I want it to be with someone who understands, has been there, and is at least a bit like me.Blogging gives me a bit of that.

�I think blogging�is the homeschool version of the teacher’s lounge. Yea. That’s what it is.