When I first submitted this proposal for AETC my plan was to simply talk about tips and tricks and keep it surface level. This week though, as I've been thinking about the nuts and bolts of the presentation, I've been reflecting. I've gone back and forth from everything needs to be tweeted or posted somehow because if you didn't take a picture it didn't happen to the I may or may not post it but it still happened because I know it did. I think we can all relate to one end of that spectrum or somewhere in the middle. It takes time to find that healthy balance between sharing just enough to oversharing. This is a different kind of blog because I'm just going to be real for a few minutes and share my educator's heart. When I first started in the world of Twitter, I still had my account as private. I had no idea what I was doing and was still very much a newbie. Thankfully I found my way to an EdCamp in Mountain Brook and learned that day from Jennifer and Holly how to open up a whole new world via Twitter. I'm still learning how to share more about what I do on this network, but if we are honest, we are all works in progress at some point along the social media spectrum.
This session will have those tips and tricks that I had in mind when I wrote the proposal, but I'm going to share it from my personal perspective. Things, I've learned along the way and things I'm still learning. I love presenting and sharing with other teachers, but I've also found out I'm much more comfortable around people I may not know personally than I am around those I do know. (That's a blog in itself). When I first started presenting I was a nervous, speed talker, let me throw a bunch of tools at you and hope something makes sense kind of presenter. Over the years my confidence level has grown with practice and time, and I've matured as a presenter. My heart as a presenter now is that teachers have something they can take back to their classrooms to use and feel like they can use it! I know time is precious for educators and meaningful professional development is priceless. That's why I share what I create and archive presentations on my live binder site (bit.ly/TechTreasures). If we can take off the lens of competition in this education world and realize that we are all in it for the same gain..to make a difference in the lives of the children that walk through our doors each year, oh how better off we would all be. I've also learned that sometimes we view leadership from an outside looking in perspective when leadership doesn't always mean you are seen and heard, but servant leadership does what it can to help others lead and be the best they can be. Sharing our stories as educators should be a celebration for ourselves, it's not about how many likes we get, but about getting the message out of what we are doing to make a difference for children in hopes that it encourages and inspires someone else.
So if you are at AETC next week, come join me Friday morning and let's talk more about this topic. If you aren't there, look for the presentation to be loaded later and shared on Twitter. A precious mentor of mine has always reminded me that I have a voice and a story that needs to be shared...and I'm passing on that same encouragement to others now. Don't let the need to please someone, the competitive cycle, or the feeling of not enough keeping you from sharing what you are doing. I promise you that you have a voice that others need to hear....so speak up and share it! I'm not saying the doubts will go away, but I can tell you from personal experience that confidence rises when you start to see you for who God had in mind when He made you and quit apologizing for who you don't seem to think you are (all because you are comparing yourself to someone else..).
