Two Year Anniversary

Yesterday marked the day that began my educational blog two years ago. If you care to read my thoughts on what I have accomplished in those two years, please read on. If you don't care, move on to lurk elsewhere.

I have had some success at blogging. Here are my favorite three posts:
Things They Forgot to Teach Me in College--This post spoke to many young teachers and experienced ones as well.
Help--It was this post that helped one of my students get published in the local newspaper.
My Ten Favorite Students--Again, this was a post that other teachers understood.

I have had some failure at blogging. In one early post, I offended some students. I took the post down and replaced it with an apology. In the end, and despite the pathetic media coverage's out of context quotes, I felt vindicated on many levels. But if you want to see the power of humility, usually not my greates attribute, you can read it in A Letter to My Students.

I have proposed the absurd in I Might Hold Out, createda new hit show in Hell's Classroom, and written a song for the Washington Assessment of Student Learning.

On a professional level, the Daily Grind has allowed me to evaluate my educational theories, practices, and vented.

After two years of writing semi-regularly, I wonder what I have accomplished. As I look back through my posts, I realize that I have accomplished exactly what I thought I might. The Daily Grind's title came out of the idea that teaching is a daily experience that sometimes has to be endured, just like any other profession. It is not the world of Stand and Deliver or Dangerous Minds. I've thought about becoming more focused, narrowing my writing prompts. But, in the end, I can only write about what prompts me. I need to tap into whatever is running through my veins, whether that be eloquent and meaningful or erratic and silly.

Thank you for visiting The Daily Grind. I hope we can continue to offer something worth reading.