Sundays are often very long days for me. It takes me most of the day to get my lesson plans written. Any "free" time I get is spent completing the other "getting ready for school" tasks like laundry and a trip to the supermarket to stock up on peanut butter and jelly for the week. I wasn't really sure where I would find a positive moment today; I certainly wasn't expecting it to come in the form of a tweet!I shared with you yesterday how proud I was of my students who had commented on Lee Kolbert's blog post, Warning! Don't Let This Be You! This morning Lee commented on my post and then sent me a message on Twitter about it. Then she asked me a question that really got me thinking: "Why don't you title your posts?"
Um...well...uh...I...uh...have no idea.
I hadn't really thought about it. Until Lee asked the question and then reminded me...the English teacher...of the importance of The Hook. The words or idea that grab your reader's attention and make them want to keep reading. It's one of the things I've always admired Lee for...she writes the best titles!!! Here are a few examples of her title-writing expertise:
- We Interrupt This Blog for This Public Service Announcement
- When The Shift Hits The Fan!
- Are You A Wimpy Whiner?
- Are My Private Parts Showing?
And it's also something I am ALWAYS talking to my students about! So, why is it I hadn't given it a thought?! You may also be wondering, "And how exactly is this today's positive thought???" That might be hard to explain. You see, for some reason, I took great delight in receiving a lesson from another teacher, especially one that I admire as much as I do Lee. And the best part was that I received the lesson well. I didn't perceive it as a personal attack as I might have in days gone by. No...seriously! The slightest critique or question would have sent me into a tailspin; that's how little I valued myself and my work.
I guess I'm finally growing up! Thanks for the lesson and the help, Lee!
I guess I'm finally growing up! Thanks for the lesson and the help, Lee!
Oh, if you're wondering why there's a picture of Haagen-Dazs ice cream at the top of this post, it's because I've posted to two blogs every day since New Year's Day and I think I deserve a treat. Chocolate!!
I do like the titles with just the date because of the title of your blog ;) Automatically one will ask "what's the positive thought for the day?" Also lends itself to impressing the reader by showing that you do keep up with it every day. So if you are going to add "more" title, please keep the date ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paul! I do want to keep the date as part of the title. Going along with what you said, I think it also keeps me writing a post every day, and that was one of the goals of this project.
ReplyDeleteHooray for titles! I am always impressed by Lee's titles too, how does she have the time to be so witty in her titles? They always grab your attention and make you want to read more. I would count a lesson learned cheerfully as a very positive thought for the day, and an excellent reason for chocolate! (Although, lets be honest, is there a bad time for chocolate?)
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