11 from 11: like it says on the tin.
Hi folks. I’m currently trying really hard not to write up my blog post about the recent Doğuş University ELT Conference. This in itself is strange, firstly because it 
was a great conference that I want to write about, secondly because I’m avoiding doing so by writing another blog post. More on my state of neurosis later.
This just seems like a great chance to reflect back on a year of blogging, with the hope that others will also do the same. Right then, down to business: some of you are trying hard to drum up support for your blog in the upcoming EduBlog awards. Good luck to you. The thing is, to get those votes you’re going to have to show people why you’re so wonderful. What better way to do that than by showcasing your eleven – go on, I’ll use the ‘B’ word – best posts of the year. What’s more, you can pretend you’re not blatantly canvassing for votes by making out that you’re just fulfilling a blog challenge set by one of your wonderful PLN. Everyone’s a winner baby, that’s the truth…
Here are my eleven from eleven. I’m really looking forward to reading yours, so please leave a comment with a link to your post.
1. 10 contemporary motivation theories and how they explain why your students just aren’t ‘into it’
I decided to do some research into why my students utterly hated being in my classes. Only joking, but writing this post was extremely enlightening and some of the behavior I’d often seen cropping up in class made more sense to me as a consequence. This remains my most visited blog post.
OK, I admit it: I was just trying to antagonize people with this post. It worked. Good ole Dave Dodgson wrote one of the posts of the year about why conference presenters shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege of doing so. While I agreed with him in part I still feel that you’re paying for a whole event and if you are willing to present, then good on you. Some of the comments on this one are the closest I’ve got to hate mail, although in retrospect none of them are that bad. What’s more, I probably deserved a bit of stick for deliberately trying to stir things up.
3. How I developed an academic vocabulary syllabus
I’m part of the curriculum development group in my department and work bloody hard doing it, too. It seems strange on reflection that this aspect of my job has rarely come through in my blogging. This was a notable exception.
4. The ELT Conference: Our profession’s moral blind spot?
I’m in full grizzle mode on this one. Basically, I postulate that we’re willing to overlook the shiftiness of the organization hosting the conference as and when it suits us.
5. Why are you a demotivated teacher?
I’m in full grizzle mode again on this one. Do you suffer from idiotic boss syndrome? Do people elsewhere in your organization make crap decisions that act as motivation killers for those that it affects? If so, this post feels your pain.
6. Are You One of the TEFL Industry’s Useful Idiots?
Ahem, I’m in full grizzle mode again on this one. There are a bunch of buggers trying to screw up this profession for the rest of us. Fight the power, baby!
7. Are you likely to be eaten by a Grue? Interactive Fiction in the Language Classroom
I went to quite a few conferences this year and heard some truly awesome stuff. One of my favourite new ideas resulted in this post. Thankfully, the inspirer has just started his own blog on this.
8. The zombie apocalypse and its role in the ELT classroom
Just read the title of the blog post. I’m awesome.
9. Going Paperless: You’ve got to be kidding
This is one of those weird posts that received markedly different responses depending on where you looked. On twitter I was derided as a fool for my suggestions, albeit by tech-heads who found it impossible to believe that other humans could be in any way different to them. In the comments, I was met with ‘been there, done that’ responses from people who weren’t quite so far up their own arses. Did I just say that?
10. My teaching entire philosophy captured in one photo
This was a photo tribute to Headway. By tribute I mean…
11. A day in the life of an ELT conference presenter
I originally intended this blog to be a reflection of the daily goings on in my life as an English teacher. I have failed to do that pretty miserably most of the time, although this was one of my rare posts that managed to stick to that ethos.
Bring on your eleven
There you have it then. That’s lots of deep linking that should up my blog in my ongoing war with Google. How about you? What have you blogged about this year? Let the rest of us know by taking up this shamelessly self promoting blog challenge.
Update
Here are the people who’ve taken up the challenge so far:
Marisa Constantinides – My 11 from ’11
Dave Dodgson – 11 from ‘11 – (Almost) A Year in the Life of my Blog
Sharon Turner – SHHH it’s a Secret!
Tara Benwell – 11 from 11: The best of blogs challenge
Tamas Lorincz – 11 from ’11 that I haven’t written
Tony Gurr – “Love your work, darling” (but love me own even more)!
Brad Patterson – 11 from ’11 inspired by @yearinthelifeof
Mike Harrison – A year of blog? #11from11 challenge inspired by @yearinthelifeof
Eva Buyuksimkesyan – 11 from ’11 My Fave Posts
Janet Bianchini – My 11 from ’11 in the 3rd Year, inspired by @yearinthelifeof
Edna Sackson – 11 favourite posts from ’11
Ann Loseva – The 11 from ’11 I never came up with
Shelly Terrell – 11 of ’11 Projects Transforming Education
Willy Cardoso – 11 from ’11: aborted posts
Martin Sketchley – Reflection of 2011 – The #11from11 Challenge
Natasa Bozic Grojic – My 11 from ’11
CA and KK – 11 From 11: Learning By Blogging
Remember to leave a comment and link below if/when you choose your 11 so I can add them to the list.
Love the reflection aspect and the fact that you so obviously connect it to award desperation! Haha. I’ll give it a go, but not until I take a read (or second read) through your 11.
Not as prolific as you, Adam…. but I’ll give it a go, if I can get away from marking for a few minutes…. actually it is a good excuse to make me stay away from marking for a little while
Marisa
You’ve already given my blog more attention than it deserves this year, Tyson. Thanks for all of your comments and positivity; as I’m sure you know, it’s the kind words of others that keep most of us blogging.
Marisa! After the two days of exam Hell I’ve just been through, I can imagine exactly how you feel.
I hope everyone takes advantage of the opprtunity to showcase the best of what they’ve written this year.
Adam,
I’ll only do it if you offer an “award”
I like the idea – will do – but need a few days. Take care.
T..
You get a ‘Year in the life of’ special award for being one of the best commenters on this post! Look forward to seeing the highligyhts of your blogging year.
So it’s ‘A Year in the Life of a Blog’ challenge – cool!
Even though I’m not blogging as often as I would like this days (ironically enough because I am researching reflective blogging at present!), it will be a good way to reflect on (almost) a year’s work.
Dear Adam,
I love it…very ironic..I have read all of these even though I never left you a comment.) Your posts are usually so spot on or cheeky!!!! Ok you are on but do I have 11!!!!! I am going to go and see.))
Sharon.)
OK done.) I have 11 here.) the new one the other 10 are embedded in brings the total to 11 http://www.sharonzspace.com/?p=810.)))
Btw, your ZOMBIE post is my all-time favourite. It has everything: activities, interactive video and the coolest title of a post ever.
[...] in the opportunity to choose my favourites and make lists. I do it with albums each year and with a nudge from Adam Simpson, I have lined up 11 of my favourite posts from 2011 to give you a full snowy (or rainy) afternoon [...]
Sometimes everything just aligns and you know you’re onto something special. Throw zombies into the mix on top of that and… well, what can I say
I’m currently working my way through your eleven.
I love that you call yourself “a childish idiot geeky nerd”. I hope you never change! So many great posts here, Adam. Thanks for sharing! I shared your challenge in our “Challenge Group” (adjusted slightly for our members who don’t have enough blog posts of their own to share). http://my.englishclub.com/group/challenge/forum/topics/11-from-11-the-best-blogs-challenge
Here is my version (posts from my online learners) of 11 from ’11: http://my.englishclub.com/profiles/blogs/11-from-11-posts-from-the-writing-challenge-group
Thanks for the reflection! It was a great exercise.
Thanks, Tara. I like your different take on the challenge. It’s given me the chance to read even more great posts that I’d missed previously.
Ok, I might get disqualified but I thought I’d let you know that I bastardised your idea by writing a long blog post of the 11 things I should have written about this year but didn’t, and then it turned into 22, so there you have it…
[...] Facebook Groups in the English Language Classroom This post is also a part of Adam Simpson’s 11 from ’11: The best of your posts from this year blog challenge (see the very end of the post for other people who have taken the [...]
[...] Simpson - 11 from ’11: The best of your posts from this year (blog challenge) started this [...]
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OK – Mr. Adam,
All the way from Ankara…my “11 from ’11″!
http://allthingslearning.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/love-your-work-darling-but-love-me-own-even-more/
So, funny – this actually took more time than most of me other posts
Take care,
T..
But, I forgot to say – most of this was written on the “hızlı tren” from Eskişehir (they serve beer on the train, too)
T..
Thanks, Tony. Would you believe, I’ve never been to Eskişehir?!?! I’ll add you to the list.
I’m there a couple of times a week these days – LOVE it
I first went almost 30 years ago – changed so much…besides they look after me so well there 
Cheers – take care..
T..
[...] further ado, 11 mention-worthy posts from ’11. Merci Adam for the inspiration [...]
Hi Adam
Thanks very much for this lovely blog challenge. I have just posted up my reflections from Abruzzo:
http://civitaquana.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-11-from-11-in-3rd-year-inspired-by.html
All the best
Janet
Thanks Janet: what a great list of posts… even more reading for me to do!
11 from ’11 you say? Yes, that’s right… give us the best of your posts from this year http://t.co/0O8wPfOw Go on, you know you want to!
Thanks for the idea. Done! It sent me down a reflective path, reminding me of successes and challenges during the course of year. It made me realise how much has changed and what still needs to!
Thanks for the link, Edna. I’ll add you to the list!
Great idea. Loved reading your posts. Here’s my contribution: http://learningspy.co.uk/?p=793
Thanks, David
[...] has been a good year. After reading A Year in the Life of an English Teacher I’ve decided to take up the challenge and provide you with a smattering of what’s been [...]
16 people have now shared their 11 from ’11: The best of their posts from this year http://t.co/0O8wPfOw Have you? #11from11
Thanks, David… added you to the list.
I would like to share my blog post based on the #11from11 (http://www.eltexperiences.com/2011/12/reflection-of-2011-11from11-challenge.html). I hope it is a good read. Thank you for the challenge Adam.
Thanks, Martin. I’ll add your post to the ever growing list.
Adam, thank you for this challenge. It was useful to look back at my last year’s posts and reflect. Anyway, here is the link: http://lunas994.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-11-from-11.html
[...] celebrate than with a blogging challenge and one that will make me reflect on my past year's posts?Adam Simpson posted this challenge in his blog. The idea is to look back at your last year's posts and choose 11 [...]
[...] month or so ago Adam Simpson posted an 11 frrom 11 challenge, inviting bloggers to choose their favourite 11 posts from 2011. I’ve enjoyed reading other [...]
Thanks for the challenge Adam that prompted my post: http://when-tech-met-ed.blogspot.com/2012/01/11-from-11-learning-by-blogging.html
Thanks, CA. I’ve added you to the list.