How did #AprilBlogaDay impact my practice?

I've often heard that it takes 30 days to develop a habit. From my #AprilBlogaDay experience, that may not be completely true. But it was only by taking part in the challenge that I was able to figure that out, along with a few other key things.

Time is of the essence
When the challenge began, I was on Spring Break. This gave me the necessary time to get a blog finished each day. Once classes began again, I found that many of my blogs were completed and submitted after 11 pm. The daily deadline helped make it happen but I'm just not ready to commit to that going forward. Even though I got better at churning them out, it still takes quite a bit of time each day.

Practice, practice, practice
One of the biggest takeaways was that the daily writing helped me develop a process to writing each post. I learned to let go and press Publish. It's never going to be perfect so just let it be and move on. It has certainly made it easier for me to post something and so the hurdle each time has gotten much smaller.

Variety is the spice of life
Initially, I had figured that each post was going to be similar in length and style. That was my goal as I figured it was a good plan to try to follow. Now, the structure may be to try something different each week or on particular days. It may make for a disjointed blog but trying different things will make it more interesting for me.

Connections made
Participating in a project such as this with others made it much more educational and possible. Reading what others wrote and having them read some of what I wrote was a constant motivator. Feedback is very important early on in order to get things kickstarted. I've now connected with several others who have great things to say.

Habit of reflection
While the daily blog habit may not be a result of this challenge, the practice of reflection has come much more the forefront for me. This was an unexpected but extremely positive outcome. I do find myself reflecting more during the school day and I already seen it playing out in what I do in the classroom each day. Among many positives, this may be the most encouraging for me.

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