Beg, Borrow, and Steal

By Anonymous -
A new role model of mine, whom you can find on Twitter @TechNinjaTodd, stood up at our most recent PD and announced that everything he was showing us that he had done was an idea he learned from someone else. He did not present a single unique idea. Except that he totally did. Unique in the way that no one in our district talked about developing themselves through social media. He gave us permission to seek out greatness even if no one supported our movement. He gave us permission to teach 50% academics and 50% life. He is a game changer. I want to be a game changer.

 It's so refreshing to hear that someone that amazing (super high testing scores in a very low SES population) is simply copying his favorite ideas from other people. When I meet someone so great, I tend to immediately throw myself into this other category of "not good enough." I was on a personal high on Friday from co-leading a Math Workshop PD. My teammate and I had gotten some great feedback that had us both walking on air. Then I went to my next two sessions and felt like a joke. Mo (@schoolsoftmrw) and Todd are what I strive to be. I'm discouraged because my brain didn't think to do the things they did on its own. I'm encouraged because both of these amazing people laid out a step by step guide and I am running with it. It's possible. I'm capable.

 I've participated in 2 #twitterchat sessions, and in doing so have exposed myself to other educators who I can inspire and who can inspire and lead me. Today I made a list of 20 topics for this blog. I thought of exactly 0.0 of the strategies/ideas, and I am an expert at exactly 0.0 of them. I'm so excited to share, though. If for nothing more, I'm excited by the sheer possibility of another educator using what I've learned and feeling influential with his or her students. I'm excited for the possibility to grow exponentially. I'm excited for this fire that has been ignited and will only continue to rise.

 If you are reading this at any point in time and you are a novice or beginning teacher, get on this ride. Let's learn together. 

 I think of a quote from a famous Italian Renaissance painting: 
"I was what you are, now I am what you will be." 

 I feel like this is me living this out. I am growing and not everyone is ready or willing to do that. But when they are, they will know that I've been there. And I've come a long way. But not as far as I've yet to go. And everyone can get to where I'm going.

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