Where Do We Go From Here?

You might or might not have been wondering where in the world I've disappeared lately.  Well, I've been thinking a lot lately about the direction I wanted to go with my blog.  As many of you know, I'm a full-time public school teacher, but that really wasn't supposed to be the defining feature of my blog.  I really didn't want that to define me, nor with what I read.  The funny thing is, you find that your job or your state in life sometimes does define you though.  It's an interesting hand in hand, as with anyone I suppose.

Originally, I started this blog as a conversation piece with a couple of girlfriends, so we could gab about books as I attempted to prepare for a possible PhD program in English.  Well, after we all got too busy to keep it up, I kept the blog and just kept on gabbing about books.  I kept this completely separate from class, didn't really ever discuss this at work (meaning with my students), and could keep work and hobby apart from one another.  Well, slowly they have started to collide and I'm now pretty much an open book.  I suppose it had to happen at some point, right?  It's not as thought I didn't think it would happen, but I just didn't plan for it.

I suppose I've just been trying to figure out what I wanted to do--from a work standpoint.  I'm open game now for my students to track down and look at everything I'm doing, saying, reading, etc.  Do I want to be a "teacher reading blog"?  Um, no.  I don't do this for work purposes.  I get that those who do that are going above and beyond the call of teaching duty, but I honestly do this to refuel the battery and have conversations about great books that I "might" use for future Pop Lit. or AP classes. 

Okay, so do I just pare back and not blog as often?  That has pretty much become a much bigger option.  I've gotten used to not stating my opinions and being emphatic about very many things.  That can be difficult at times, as I feel strongly about certain things and want to wrap my arms around causes and political opinions, and yet I can't.  Why?  Because my job is to pose both sides for students and help them to come to conclusions on their own.  If they think that I side solidly with something, then they will come to believe that I'm persuading them to believe that way as well.  It's often immature on their part, but very true.

Anyway, I digress.  Where do I go from here?  I don't really know completely.  I'm still feeling this out.  I'm feeling a lot more exposed than I did before, so I'm revamping at the moment.  Listen, I've read some great books this spring and summer, so I still want to review them and keep sharing.  I want to see what you all are reading!  By the way--now that Google Reader is gone, now what do I do?  I know I need to fix my roll as it is.  It hasn't been fixed in ages!  I missed Paris in July this year, but I know I want to keep joining in fun reading events, and you for sure need a blog for that.  And, you for sure need a blog to keep sharing in great new releases. 

I think what I'm trying to say is, that there is a little revision work going on.  I'll figure it out and then keep it moving!