My name is Robin Lilly. I recently heard another professional educator refer to himself as “a recovering English teacher” and I thought, “Ah, yes, that’s me too.”
In the summer of 2017, I was inspired and encouraged by my fellow California Writing Project teacher leaders – Matt Brown, Jacklyn Smith, Greg Raney – themselves bloggers and thought leaders in literacy and education. Then I came across SLAM School and a particular post on teacher blogging and wordpress (episode 11: https://youtu.be/O74L_31IGo4). In the class, Nichole Mirra and Antero Garcia urge viewers to share their classrooms by blogging, in essence calling on us to open our doors door wider so the larger community can learn about what really happens in schools.
I began blogging, slowly, in August 2017. I do find writing for an audience clarifies my thinking – sometimes. And when I go back to read posts, I sometimes find I think differently than I’ve expressed, which helps me better understand my own and my students’ writing and thinking processes.
Before I left the classroom in June 2018, I tried new designs and strategies, from “going gradeless” to blended learning. Although I now write curriculum and provide instructional support and professional development, I continue to study and practice positive education strategies – educating not just for academic success but for health and well-being. I am a teacher leader with the Cal State Northridge Writing Project, and I am absolutely passionate about writing instruction. I’m also passionate about social justice, literacy, positive education, project-based learning, and meaningful assessment.
In this forum I hope to share some of what I’m trying, what’s working and what I want to do differently. I hope you’ll comment and question and consider the challenges we face as teachers, learners, and citizens.
If that wasn’t enough about me, here’s more:
Link to my resume: Resume Robin Lilly August 2018
Link to my curriculum vitae: CV Robin Lilly August 2018