Missing the Good Old Days, Are You?

Alright. I've started typing and there is no turning back.

Warning...long post ahead... may contain some ranting... I apologize in advance.

My husband thinks it would be better to just go to bed, but I just have to know...

Has the world of blogging really changed so much in the past nine months?  

Admittedly, I have been out of the game most of the year.  There was an occasional post here and there, but there were also some months that were completely forgotten.  Y'all know. Teaching is consuming and exhausting.  By the time I got home each day I was doing well to make myself more than a bowl of cereal for dinner. But in the past nine months, it seems like a lot has changed and I just can't keep.

I used to log-in to my dashboard and find tons of cool ideas: lessons, crafts, projects, room decor, websites etc. It was teachers sharing information and ideas. I followed all kinds of different blogs because even if it wasn't my same grade level I could adapt an idea and make it work for myself and my class. I learned a lot from so many amazing teachers all over the country.

I think the key word here is IDEA.  That, to me, is what blogging is about. I love reading about ideas from other people.  What books have you read that your students loved?  What read alouds work best for different reading strategies?  How did you take a boring concept and bring it alive in the classroom?  What lessons did you teach and how did you do it?  Freebies and printables are nice.  I love them just as much as the next teacher, but what I'm really interested in is ideas.  I've got a bookshelf of books with worksheets. Now, they may not have all that adorable clip art and cute fonts, but they provide what a worksheet provides - practice.

So, here's what I don't understand.  What changed?  What memo didn't I get?  Now, I find a lot more reviews of products and promotions for TPT and TN.  I feel like I am being bombarded by advertisement and promotion everywhere I look.  All the giveaways have 35 ways to enter.  I just have to follow their blog, follow the five other blogs that are supplying something from their TPT store, follow all their stores, follow them on facebook, tweet about the giveaway, follow them on twitter, like the company on facebook.  OH MY GOSH! Why can't I just follow?  Why can't I just read your blog and share teaching ideas with you?  Why do I have to be connected 25 different ways?

AND, if I choose not to be connected in 25 different ways, is my blog no longer interesting?  Am I not relevant? Do I have to have a Facebook page?  How about a TPT store? I'm starting to feel very inadequate.  Perhaps I'm not equipped to be part of this new blogging phenomenon.  I just want to share some ideas and hopefully inspire a few other teachers along the way.  I don't have an arsenal of cute clip art or fonts.  I do have a love of books, a love of teaching, and a love of sharing and learning with others.  But, is that enough?

Now, please don't misunderstand me. I'm amazed at what teachers everywhere have created and I think TPT and TN are great.  I have even tried my hand at creating a Teachers Notebook account. (I have a whopping 4 items!) I get it  We spend a lot of time creating things for our classroom and these sites create a wonderful platform for teachers to share with each other and earn a little extra money for all the hard work.  That's awesome!  I just don't understand why that is what is flooding my dashboard. Perhaps, I'm just nostalgic for the good old days of blogging.  Am I the only one?