Which is why I was so excited when #122edchat announced it as the Summer Book Study, because a book study pushes you to read the book on a schedule. I also have the added pressure of agreeing to host the chat on July 25th, and I picked it as my choice to present for my district inservice Professional Book Club. (I love a double dip!) I was excited to start reading it, and boy was I not disappointed.
As a teacher with almost 15 years of experience in the classroom, I am still learning new things all the time. That is what I love most about teaching. There is always an opportunity to evolve and grow. No two years are ever the same. The only limitation is what I put on myself. Since moving to my current district 5 years ago, I have evolved greatly as an educator, really working on refining my craft. I have discovered the power of growth mindset, inquiry-based learning, #edtech tools and quality formative assessment.
As I was reading #Culturize, I often found myself saying, "THAT'S ME! I DO THAT!"
and then I got to Chapter 3..... and read "Leaders Don't Need a Title" and it clicked.
You don't need an invitation
to be a leader...Just be one!
I have always been reticent to consider myself a "leader". The voice in my head would say "You are "only" a teacher, you are not a leader." I try the best I can to make a difference in my school community, joining committees and volunteering to help with special projects or events. But I never considered myself a leader.......UNTIL NOW!
I feel like Jimmy Casas gave me the best gift anyone could give someone, permission to lead. I AM a leader, both in my own classroom and as part of the school I work in. I don't need a special title or special permission to do things that will enhance the culture and climate of the building I work in.
I have already made a few strides towards this new mindset. I will be joining a few, special like-minded educators in my school next year to bring the Positivity Project to our building. We have the support and backing of our Assistant Principal, and she has made it clear that this will be a team effort. I am excited for this year, because I know that we have a huge opportunity to effect change within our students. I also plan to to develop some inservice workshops next year to share with other teachers the power of Twitter, Growth Mindset and #tlap.
I became an Educator because of the immense power I believe teaching has it in shaping future generations. I have never wanted to be anything else other than a teacher, and feel it is my calling. It is why I loved #Culturize so much, Jimmy gets it!
When I got to pg. 10, I knew I was all in on this book.
"To be an excellent educator is a gift--
a gift to our students, our families, and our communities.
Being an excellent educator is, in fact, a gift to our humanity."
We have so much to deal with on a daily basis, it can be overwhelming at times, but when you think about what we do as a gift, it makes it all worth it!