Recently I have been dusting off my resume and looking back on my journey as not only a teacher, but as someone who has been part of many professional development sessions, sharing my experiences using technology in the classroom. The funny thing is I never would have seen myself doing what I have done these last years if I had not opened the door and said yes when the question was first brought to me.
As teachers we all do this, we are asked to share and our default is to think, “Oh this isn’t good enough to share. It is good for me and my kids in my classroom, but to share it with others, no I don’t think so.” I was definitely one of those people. While what I had was amazing for my kids in my classroom, going outside those walls definitely wasn’t going to happen. It took my principal and one of the consultants in my school division to convince me that what I was doing was worth sharing with others. And let me tell you, once I opened that door, boy did my life change.
I look back on these last ten years and I think of all the places I have shared my experiences and stories – the various edtech conferences, the edcamps and professional development days and I was actually surprised at the number of places I had talked to teachers. But more importantly, I looked back at the people I had met, the friends I had made and there are so many. I have so many amazing memories, I look back and honestly it makes me feel good. While what I had to share might not spoke to everyone, there were some that went “this looks so fantastic, I can’t wait to go back and share it with my colleagues and friends.” And what more could I ask for – if someone could see the possibility that I saw and wanted to try it out with their kiddos then I had done what I had set out to do. Looking back, if I had said no when the opportunity was presented to me, I would have missed out on so many experiences and friendships.
So, I guess my message is this. while I don’t expect everyone to take the journey I took. Just know that taking that first step and going “hey can I tell you about something I tried out with my kids todays” or when someone asks for advice on something in the classroom, speak up and share what you have done. We all have something to share and when we work together, it is amazing what great things can happen when we do.
catherined2014 