I had the joy of meeting this amazing teacher-blogger this past summer at the Teachers Pay Teachers conference! It blew my mind how much we just clicked! I admire her heart and her TPT journey so it makes sense that I interview her for this 2nd annual round of Elementary Entourage interviews!
"My best friend and teammate moved. She had been my rock. I went to her with every problem, every celebration, and every time I needed a reality check. What was I going to do without her? I decided to start blogging in hopes of recreating that support network. I had no idea what I was doing, or what an incredible blessing blogging would become!"
"Blogging has connected me to an entire corner of the internet that I never knew existed. The online teaching community has had a huge impact on my teaching. I now have unlimited resources at my disposal, a wealth of ideas for creative problem-solving, and an incredibly supportive group of teachers that always push me to be my best.
Some of my most personal struggles have become the focus of my blog posts, and it has been so cathartic to share those feelings. Teaching can be such an isolating profession, and blogging often helps me to realize that so many other teachers have been through similar experiences, and I can learn from them! The experience as a whole has been rather mind-blowing!"
1. Write when the passion strikes! My best blog posts are ones that came from the heart. Whether they are more personal reflections on my own teaching, searching for a variety of ways to support a specific student profile, or to share a new class obsession, my passion comes through in my blog. Fluff is a great filler, but it doesn't offer much to your audience.
2. You don't have to write often, just be consistent with your writing. You don't have to write every other day, or even every week. If you can and want to, that's totally up to you. Just be predictable for your reader!
3. Be honest. Share your triumphs, your struggles, your interest, your pet-peeves, your Pinterest moments, and your epic fails. Your readers connect with you as a person, so give them a variety of ways to connect.
4. Limit your Linky parties and posts that lack content. The majority of your readers are going to be teachers, so make sure that the majority of your posts are written for that audience. While linky parties are a fun way to connect with other bloggers, they are not your primary audience. Build great content and your audience will come!
1. Write when the passion strikes! My best blog posts are ones that came from the heart. Whether they are more personal reflections on my own teaching, searching for a variety of ways to support a specific student profile, or to share a new class obsession, my passion comes through in my blog. Fluff is a great filler, but it doesn't offer much to your audience.
2. You don't have to write often, just be consistent with your writing. You don't have to write every other day, or even every week. If you can and want to, that's totally up to you. Just be predictable for your reader!
3. Be honest. Share your triumphs, your struggles, your interest, your pet-peeves, your Pinterest moments, and your epic fails. Your readers connect with you as a person, so give them a variety of ways to connect.
4. Limit your Linky parties and posts that lack content. The majority of your readers are going to be teachers, so make sure that the majority of your posts are written for that audience. While linky parties are a fun way to connect with other bloggers, they are not your primary audience. Build great content and your audience will come!
Even though it was one of my first products on Teachers Pay Teachers, my {
Math Journal Prompts series} is still my favorite! I feel that it really reflects HOW I teach. I had become increasingly frustrated with how my students approached their math work. I found that they were only focused on finding the "right answer," and I needed to find a way to push their thinking.
I started creating open-ended prompts, forcing my students to generate multiple solutions to the same problem. The prompts really pushed their understanding, and encouraged them to think flexibly. It was a great turning point in my teaching, and also provided a fabulous way to document student learning. The K-4 series are still some of my best sellers, but more importantly, they are still my go-to math resource in my classroom. I can't imagine teaching math without them!
I hope you enjoyed learning all about Jillian!
