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For a long time I have wanted to create a space to share my thoughts and experiences in a professional way. I was searching for an outlet to share my successes, roadblocks and everyday adventures. However, there was always something that stood in the way. What if no one wanted to hear my opinions? What if my ideas weren’t worth reading? What if I didn’t have the natural writing ability? It wasn’t until Cohort 21 that all of those ‘what if’s’ completely disappeared.
It has been a few days since our first F2F session; however, the wheels have not stopped spinning! My brain is still exploding with questions, comments, moments of ‘ah-ha” and pure EXCITMENT. (#teamoverload)
I am proud to say that I have become an official member of Cohort 21 (Season 4). Before attending the first F2F session, I was filled with excitement and a small level of uncertainty. New faces, new ideas and a feeling of ‘what if’ made me feel a little uneasy and question if this PD was right for me. Within minutes of walking into BVG, all of the negative feelings disappeared and were immediately replaced with excitement and joy. There was a warm and welcoming vibe that filled the room, and for this I am grateful. My initial impression of Cohort 21 is much grander than I had imagined. I left feeling inspired. I look forward to meeting new people, growing as an educator and gaining new knowledge and skillsets to add to my personal toolkit.
I look forward to exploring Twitter, Diigo, WordPress and Google+, moreover, I am most enthusiastic about connecting with like minded individuals.
I already cannot wait for our next adventure!
Glad to hear you felt inspired, too. I didn’t ‘give up my Saturday’ as some might think – it was incredibly refreshing!
Hi Kristin,
Your tagline “You can’t scare me…” reminds me of the “I’m a teacher, what’s YOUR superpower?!” I like how you are owning the concept of teaching as a powerful, engaging, empowering, challenging and rewarding vocation. Few can articulate that about their own careers!
I am so happy to read this post, and to see @vkraus comments as well. It is a great community, and is one of the best PD experiences I’ve been a part of.
What resonated with you about the messages from the alumni – whether about their action plans, or about advice for you and this year’s participants?” I’d love to know.
Thanks,
garth.
Hi Garth,
I am glad that the tagline was noticed…definitely feel that we all deserve to wear a superhero cape many times throughout our careers!
What resonated with me most regarding the messages from the alumni was their passion and honesty. It was clear that all of the previous members hold their Cohort 21 experience very near to their hearts. They spoke of how the PD challenged them to take risks- ‘to think outside of their comfort zone’. This spoke to me personally, as I feel that we as educators need to constantly reflect and challenge ourselves for the better of our students. It was comforting to hear previous members speak of how they too at times felt overwhelmed and anxious about what this PD had in store. Their honesty about taking things one step at a time, made me feel more confident for the upcoming year. A second piece that resonated with me after watching the inspiring videos from previous members was the word balance. Many people spoke about time, and how it is imperative to set time aside to devote to Cohort 21. The way the members spoke about their Action Plans was not that of an assignment, or a task- but rather something that they looked forward to!
Their advice definitely made me that much MORE ready for an exciting year with the some amazing people!
Hi Kristen,
I agree – the connecting with like-minded individuals is probably on of the best parts of being in Cohort21. And all the encouragement for risk-taking. I love that it has become my new comfort zone! I look forward to seeing where your adventure takes you this year (and in the future!)
Ruth