#Kinderblog, Week 4: The Personals

Hello my friends!

I know I am a day late with this one. I am on vacation in the middle of nowhere (which is also the middle of EVERYTHING that matters. It's beautiful here.) and both my time and my internet access are a little sparse. Have no fear, though, I am ready to challenge you today!

For the 4th week of this challenge, you once again have 2 choices:

1.) Write about a relationship (either personal or professional) that challenges you, or is maybe difficult for you. What makes it hard? What are the ways that it makes you grow? Is it worth the difficult-ness? Why do you think that relationship came into your life? What are you learning from it?

2.) Write a personals ad for the perfect classroom assistant or partner teacher for YOU. What are the skills and qualities that balance out your strengths and weaknesses? What are the areas of knowledge that are less strong for you, and that would be important in a partner-in-crime for you? What are some of your quirks that someone else might need to be patient with?

As always, tweet your responses with the #kinderblog14 hashtag, post a link in the comments, and/or share it on our Facebook page.

I can't wait to read about you!

Smiles & Sunshine from paradise
xo
Amy

#Kinderblog, Week 3: Homes and Gardens

Well, hello, friends!

I know I am just under the wire on this one, but it is still Sunday in my part of the world, so I feel like I'm ok.

Last week's challenge was... very challenging for many of you, and I wanted to give big shiny gold stars to those of you who found the courage to express disagreement. I really think this is one of the hardest things for teachers to do, but also the most important for all of us as professionals. If you opted out last week, I completely understand, but I also hope that, maybe, it planted a seed of courage in you, and that maybe somewhere down the line, you will find a way to meet the spirit of the challenge in your own way.

This week's challenge is a lot less scary, and even includes TWO possible ways to participate:

Option 1: What is the process you follow for setting up your classroom? What are your priorities, your values, your beliefs, about classroom setup, decor, and organization? (Feel free to share photos! We love photos!)

Option 2: How do you feel about where you live? This could be your house, your neighbourhood, your city, region, even your country. What do you love about it? What do you hate? What would you change if you could? Again, we love pictures!

Ready, set, go!

As always, remember to tweet your response using the #kinderblog14 hashtag, and to link to it in the comments here, or on Facebook.

I can't wait to read about the places you love.

Amy

#Kinderblog14, Week 2: Letters to the Editor

Hello again, friends! I know it is already Monday in some parts of the world, but it's still Sunday in my beautiful Mountain Time Zone, so I AM NOT LATE YET!

I loved loved loved reading your responses to the Week #1 challenge, so much so that I sort of want to just make you all finish ANOTHER draft post, just to see what we are all hesitant and unsure about. I sometimes feel like the bravest thing we do, as bloggers, is hit "publish" and wait for the response.

HOWEVER, I imagine you all would like a new challenge, so here it is. (Please note that this will still required you to Be Brave). This is a new sort of challenge (almost like a field trip!) and it has 2 parts:

1: ANYWHERE ON THE GREAT WIDE INTERWEBZ: Find an article or blog post that you do not agree with, and post your response in the comments of that article/post. Obviously, do this in a way that is respectful, professional, and kind, but BE CLEAR about your points of disagreement and the reasons for them.

2: On your OWN blog, share a link to the article, a brief summary of it, and tell us WHY it pressed your buttons. Is it just plain WRONG? It is misleading? Is it misinformed, or not adequately informed? Is it striking a nerve for you personally because of a specific situation or experience?

Yeah. I know. I am totally pushing you to air some of your dirty laundry. It feels good. Trust me.

When you're all done, tweet the link with the #kinderblog tag, share it in the comments below, and/or on our Facebook page.

Ok... go!

#KInderblog14, Week 1: The Headlines

Yes, that is right, it's time, for the VERY FIRST blogging challenge of the summer. I hope you are ready!  Here it goes:

Write the post that has been in your head (or your drafts folder) for a while now. You know the one. The one you write while you drive to work, or while you are in the shower. What is the question, or issue, or opinion, or emotions, you have been chewing on for a while now? Alternatively, what is the post that you have started a million times, picked away at, edited and re-edited, and almost trashed?  Did you read an article or a Facebook post that provoked a reaction, and that you can't stop thinking about? THIS IS YOUR CHANCE.

Be Brave. Write it.

Don't forget: once your post is done, share the link in the comments below, and/or in the comments on our Facebook page, and tweet the link using the #kinderblog14 hashtag.

If you need a refresher on how the challenge works, you can find it here.

Oh, and we totally have a theme for this year's challenge, but we're going to see if you can figure it out on your own...

Now: get blogging!

And happy summer!

xo
Amy

Extra, Extra, Read All About it: Summer Blogging Challenge is ON!

And, we're off! It is time, my friends, to get this summer blogging challenge off the ground. Here is how it works:

The most important thing to mention seems to be that EVERYONE is welcome to participate in this challenge. Most of us work with young children in some capacity, but that is not a requirement to join us. You can be a teacher of another level, an admin, a parent, a nanny, a student, a trash collector. All that is required is an interest in writing and sharing ideas. Feel free to tweak the challenges to suit your situation - we are flexible and inclusive!

Ok, here is the rest:

1. Every Sunday for 6 weeks, a new challenge will be posted right here, as well as on the Kinderchat Facebook page. We'll tweet it out, too, using the #kinderchat and the #kinderblog14 hashtags.

2. Complete the challenge, and:

•  Tweet the link to your response, using #kinderblog14 as the hashtag.
• Share a link to your response in the comments on the challenge post.
• Share a link to your response in the comments on our Facebook page.

3. If you don't have a blog, YOU CAN STILL PLAY! Here are some options:

• Start a blog! This is a great and very non-scary way to get started with blogging. Both Wordpress and Blogger are quick and easy to set up, and you are off to the races. 
• Create a google doc and share the link to that for each challenge.
• Write your response as a post to our Facebook page.
• If you can (or want to try) responding to a challenge with photos or a series of photos, use the #kinderblog14 hashtag on Instagram.

4. THIS PART IS IMPORTANT: Participate in the discussion!

•  Follow the #kinderblog14 hashtag on twitter.
• Read other people's posts.
• COMMENT on other posts. (This is important, bloggers love comments. It's like having your glitter-covered clip moved to purple so you get to pick a coupon to exchange a sticker redeemable for treasure from the prize box. #snark.)
• Comment on Facebook.
• Follow new friends.

The challenge is meant to be fun and low-pressure, soooo:

• You can start anytime.
• You can skip a week if you are on vacation, the challenge doesn't float your boat, or you just plan forget.
• You can pick and choose the challenges that interest you.
• You can complete the challenges in any order, and go back later to finish challenges you skipped.

That's it for now. Stay tuned RIGHT HERE later today for the first challenge. In the meantime, start your blog, set up your twitter account, follow the hashtag, and start thinking about writing. 

And if you REALLY can't wait: write us a teaser post. Topic: everything we need to know about you, in 200 words or less.

We'll be back....