As an educator I enjoy engaging with the scholarship of learning and teaching and often take inspiration from other educators and of course my students. I also like to find new innovative ways to enhance teaching, support students to flourish and confidently evidence their learning. Some of my best ideas don’t ‘arrive‘ while sitting at my desk — they come to me when I’m out on an early morning dog walk. There’s something about the rhythm of walking, the fresh air, and the quiet start to the day that allows ideas to surface: thoughts about teaching, puzzles from recent classes, and new questions I want to explore.

But here’s the challenge: by the time I get home and the rush of the day begins, those carefully-formed ideas can slip away. Sound familiar? If so, this post is for you. Whether your ideas come to you on a dog walk, bike ride, in the garden, or in the shower, here’s how to catch them and turn them into blog posts that can be shared to inspire reflection, dialogue, and scholarship within our teaching communities.

Capturing ideas

Those fleeting ideas can be frustrating to lose. Here are a few simple tricks that might help:

• Voice memos
  Since you’re out walking or gardening, jotting notes might be tricky — but recording a quick voice memo on your phone is easy and captures the idea while it’s fresh.
  
• Pocket notebook
  If you prefer analogue a tiny notebook in your dog-walking jacket or gardening bag can be a lifesaver. Sometimes writing by hand also reinforces memory.
  
• Trigger words
  If the full idea feels too big to capture on the spot, jot down just a few trigger words that will jog your memory later.
  
• Mind wandering time post activity
  Set aside 5–10 minutes after your walk or gardening to sit quietly with a cup of tea and reflect. Often, the ideas will still be there just beneath the surface and can resurface when given space.
  
• Habitual capture routine
  Make it part of your ritual: Walk, reflect, then immediately capture. The more you do it, the more your brain will start to “trust” that inspiration won’t get lost.

Consider writing a blog post

The next step is sharing your thoughts publicly. One way is to write a blog post. When writing it is ok to use I and we and write in a style that is more informal compared to academic writing for a journal article (though I’d argue these should consider more inclusive language)

A blog post can take different forms. You might want to write an informative ‘how to guide’ or capture a reflective post on your teaching practice, a challenge you’ve experienced and overcome, or a question you are pondering on.

• Start with one clear idea
  Your blog post doesn’t need to be a journal article. Start small: pick one teaching moment, question, or insight. Ask yourself: What made me pause? What could others learn from this?
  
• Use structure to help your reader
  Subheadings help readers navigate your post.
  Bullet points (like these!) make key points easy to digest.
  Short paragraphs keep it readable.
  
• Make it visual
  Use images — a photo from your walk, a sketch, or a screenshot from a resource.
  Embed a short video or audio reflection if that feels natural. Sometimes speaking aloud captures energy and tone that text alone might miss.
  
• Add a light touch of scholarship
  Link to a relevant article, theory, or framework. This adds depth without turning the post into formal writing.
  Think of it as: “Here’s something I’ve been thinking about — and look, it connects to this interesting piece of research.”
  
• End with a conversation starter
  Ask a question or invite readers to share their own reflections.
  Encourage dialogue by ending with questions like ” Has anyone else noticed/experienced this? ” or “What do you do when…?”
  
• Don’t aim for perfection – just share
  Capture the moment, share your thoughts and iideas in progress, and trust that others will relate. 500–800 words is enough.
  
• Keep an ‘Idea Pot’
  Have a running list where you jot down ideas as they come (on a walk or elsewhere!). This can become a goldmine of inspiration for future posts.
  

In short…

The next time you find yourself inspired mid-walk (or mid-gardening or showering), take a moment to capture the thought — in a voice memo, note, or quick text to yourself. Later, shape it into a short post. Your reflections not only support your own scholarly practice, but could help build a community of reflective readers.