With another weekend gone by brings a whole new season to life. Welcome fall, and with this season of harvest, I bring a fresh new blogging challenge to the lifeless pages of this space. The 9x9x25 blogging journey is for educators to be reflective and expressive about all things education, and you can read more about the origins here.
When I first read about this challenge, I thought it sounded rather intriguing, but I did not give myself permission to be apart of it. After all, this project is for educators, not someone like me who is in the full-swing of their Master's of Education. However, after continued reflection and thought, I realized that the only person stopping myself from participating is me. Last June I graduated with both a Bachelor's of Arts and Science, as well as a Bachelor of Education. Despite the fact that I do not have a traditional teaching job in a classroom, I am a teacher. I worked hard to get to where I am and I am not going to let the overanalysis of definitions pertaining to what it means to be an educator stop me from participating in something so COOL. Labels lead me down a rabbit hole of insecurity. I tend to view myself as having limiting beliefs, “those which constrain us in some way” and “just by believing them, we do not think, do or say the things that they inhibit” (Changing Minds, 2018). I never had a name for this discouraging voice until I learned about this term in a psychology class during undergrad. As Mullins (2009) describes in her powerful TED Talk about The Opportunity of Adversity, “to say something outloud brings it to existence.” Recognizing these beliefs about myself has been empowering, but for a long time I allowed my lack of confidence to sit back when all I really wanted was to do was dance with life.
Labels I have given myself over the years has held me back from seizing (or at least trying out) opportunities that have crossed my path. These labels have put a lid on me and cast a shadow to my power (Mullins, 2009). Allowing students to recognize, not judge, identify, not label, what is going on inside of them, gives them a sense of self and permits them “to bring forth what is within, to bring forward potential” (Mullins, 2009). Doors open for us at various stages of our lives. Even still, we tend to view the door as closed because we do not believe in ourselves. So, I challenge each one of you reading this to run through that door before you have the opportunity to let doubt seep in. Run. Seek. Thrive.
After all of this being said, I, an educator, am looking forward to engaging in conversation with many inspiring people over the duration of this challenge. There is still time to join, it begins October 1st, take the plunge, tango with teachers, learn more about yourself, and sign up here.
1 Comment
Terry Greene
9/24/2018 11:46:44 am
Happy to have you along for the ride!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorJust a university student blogging about her reflections, assignments, resources, and learning tidbits. Archives
October 2018
Categories |