We often live in parallel. We look forward, travel ahead, rarely taking the time, to turn our heads and check our peripheral. The edges crisp, the limitations defined. The slope steady, the angles measurable. We see what we want to see. Choose our grid, limit our exposure, document our interactions and experiences. Our outlook is shaped by this personal testimony. It is the instrumentation, credentials, and evidence, we use to make decisions, balance our emotions and interact with people. Often these sharp curves, cause skidding. We have to remember to turn into the skid.
Ultimately, this perspective makes us who we are. At times it becomes rigid, inflexible- these are the times we need to be more open-minded. This is when our mindsets become fixed and we need to aerate the soil, let the water and nutrients trickle down, in order for a growth mindset to emerge. A seedling to push through the ground. The more tensile, adaptable, extensible we are, the more forgiving the world will be to us. The faster the breaks will slow our spin.
There is a lot of forgiveness, empathy, generosity and love in the world- yet sometimes all we see is the anger, bitterness and hate. We must choose to see beyond the negative and seek out opportunities where we can spread positivity. When we embody the spirit of joy and mindfulness- it emanates out like a wave of optimism- tearing down the walls of simple-mindedness, even when they have been refortified.
When we look for the billboards and seek their advice, we often are led astray. But, when we look at our own map, our own destination and focus on our speed limit and our travel, we are much more likely to stick with our core values. If we find others on the same path, we form caravans of curiosity and strength that can push through even the heaviest of sandstorms. If we set our own course, look for detours and alternative routes, we will be able to find those hidden gems that make our lives more exciting and fruitful.
Participating in a large conference is always a great way to witness the blooms rising above the weeds, hearing the trumpets of innovation over the din of complacency. It is also a fantastic place to just listen. To observe and absorb new ideas, techniques and strategies. To see where you can make changes. To share your knowledge with others, who want to hear you speak. Who care about what you have to say. Educators see truth, we live it every day. We see through facades and trends. We are amazing onlookers of inspiration, because we long for it. We are watchers of wisdom and beholders of bravery. We do not want to just learn from books, we want to learn from experiences and from one another. A conference lets us do just that. It forges a platform for those who may not have support in their districts. It also, brings together a collective of teachers otherwise dispersed- it helps fortify the field.
Twitter is a multi-verse, formed, forged and fortified with quick bursts of insight, ebbing and flowing like warming lava in a lava lamp. When we unplug ourselves, it continues to bubble and shape- each voice a granule, of the stretching and pulling of knowledge, point of view and inspiration. A place where even the quietest of voices finds its megaphone. Where some may vent, others lead with integrity. But, in the Educator Universe, there is such a gratitude and generosity that overflows. It literally lures new members in, on a moment to moment basis.
Networking Amplified
Everyone is longing for camaraderie and Twitter provides an opportunity for kindred spirits across the globe to align and for the energy of education to cause a ripple effect that changes mindset. Together Twitter, conferences and a willingness to step outside the zone of comfort unites us. Changes the face of education. There is no room for compliance because community has taken hold and knowledge is contagious. Innovation is infectious. Collaboration is an epidemic not even the most negative of people can resist.
Facts are feelings and feelings are full of facts. If we pause and listen the blurry lines become more distinct- this is Twitter, this is communication, this is softening sharp curves to smooth turns. We all need a reminder now and then to watch the road, avoid the potholes and slow down as we make those awkward turns. It is our connections that whisper weather information, road conditions and traffic reports. It is our PLN who see the puzzle from a different angle. It is our willingness to let our guard down and set our opinions free, in order to make room for new ideas, that creates this network.
A network is both sharp curves and smooth turns- a switch in energy and a focus of potential. It is spreading the current out that helps stabilize the flow. This is education. One giant system of efficiency and vitality. Voltage of creativity, ingenuity and passion. Together these keep the circuits dynamic and the switches potent. Endurance, stamina, fortitude- this is an educators tool box. Include a gauge to measure effectiveness and this is quite a tool box. All we need to do, is share our instruments and guide one another in re-purposing and redefining things that need improving. This is what truly reshapes education one day at a time.
Gratitude shapes, it inspires and it needs to be amplified. When it is, we all feel its power. The power of appreciation, might be spotty at times, or it might surge at the holidays and weaken during times of stress. But, it is the fuel for any school, for any relationship. For when it is present, people step up and help others, they look out for one another, they pay attention to what is happening around them. Because, this feeling, this vibration of good- it resonates. Like any circuit it capacitates and invests the energy to empower the whole and this heightens the supply. The supply of good will and love that spreads joy even in the toughest of times. So let's keep the circuit charged and the energy streaming. Let's keep everyone in the loop and every spark ignited. I say thank you to everyone in my PLN because you truly light my way every day and this is priceless.
