Dream Big and Be Fearless

Teachers often come into their profession with big dreams. Dreams to solve societal problems. Dreams to change lives. Dreams to make the world a better place. We then realize very early on, how easily dreams get crushed with the realities of teaching - low pay, stress, policies and laws (that sometimes don't make sense), lack of support, and the list can go on. I remember vividly being a new teacher with big dreams and then becoming jaded much too quickly with the constraints of what was in my control and everything else. I remember wanting to do the impossible to give my students the best educational experience I could possible provide even if it meant spending my own money or giving up my weekends. I also remember, though, the immediate shut downs when approaching others for permission or when it wasn't financially feasible. I quickly learned that all those movies made about teachers weren't realistic when it came to community and administrative support for a teacher's silly dreams. So I stopped dreaming about "what if" and started just facing the facts and reality.

However, eight years later I am dreaming big again. I'm dreaming big and actually starting to achieve those dreams and not letting go of them. It took a lot of courage along with being stubborn and never taking no for an answer. I also could not be where I am today without my tribes - my network, my support system, my friends. I'm realizing this and sharing this now because of my recent work with new teachers in my district has got me thinking. Getting to work with new teachers in my district this year has been a joy and such a blessing. Being around their energy and passion has been infectious and helped me realize my dreams when I first started and how I am beginning to achieve them and then some. I hope my reflections of my early career can help others who feel like they are losing hope to keep dreaming big and to not let go of that.

Two years ago, right around this time, I attended my first technology conference with my colleague and good friend, Kim. Kim invited me as she had already known about the educational technology world and wanted to share with me all these possibilities out there. I was hooked. I wanted it all -- iPads, Chromebooks, computer programs, everything. However, as soon as I expressed my interest in wanting to get technology or use technology, I kept hearing excuses as to why I couldn't.
We don't have the money to purchase technology. 
We don't have the infrastructure to support that many wireless devices. 
We can't give up our curriculum to teach technology. 
How do you expect to manage your classroom and that kind of technology?
Wait, but aren't you a history teacher? What do you expect to do with that technology?
And I can go on...

The old me would have given up at this point. However, with the support of Kim, and me being slightly older, wiser, and less afraid of hearing no, I didn't give up. This was something I believed in and I knew would change my students' lives, enhance their education, and make me a better teacher. I knew it had to be done. I refused to take no for an answer and brainstormed creatively on how to bypass each of the questions and concerns that was thrown at me. Can't afford technology? Fine, I'll go through DonorsChoose. Can't give up curriculum time? Fine, I'll integrate it into my teaching. Worried about classroom management? Let me show you what an engaged classroom looks like with technology. Not enough professional development offered? Fine, I'll attend more conferences on my own time.

Fast forward two years, four DonorsChoose projects, three OCCUEs, two CUEs, two EdTechTeam summits, and a lot of hard work and perseverance later, my dreams are starting to come true.
  • 2016 started off with my acceptance in the Google Certified Innovator program in Mountain View, CA (#MTV16) in January. To this day, I still cannot believe I was selected, but am so grateful for that experience as it truly has changed my life. I attended the Innovation Academy in February and began working on my Innovation Project (see more below). Read my longer reflection in my blog post "Not Just a Teacher".
  • My Innovation Project focuses on student voice so I started a Student Tech Team at my school site this school year. We had students apply and interview for leadership positions and started with a group of nine amazing, techy students. They came up with the name Jet T.E.C.H. Team and this mission statement - "To provide assistance with technology through solutions and education to benefit the JTMS community." (Jets are our school mascot) They continue to create trainings for staff and students and have helped with our school's transition to more 1:1 classroom environments.
  • At the end of the 2016 school year, I applied for a part-time district position of being a Technology Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) to work with the district's Induction program. This role specifically works with beginning teachers working on clearing their credential. This exciting new role allows me to see my impact on these new teachers as I work on training all new teachers in the district to use Google's Productivity Suite and ways of incorporating education technology in their teaching practice/classrooms.
  • In August, I presented for the first time at the EdTechTeam OC Summit and created my first sketchnotes of the keynotes at the summit. To this day, my first sketchnote ever on Roni Habib's opening keynote has been retweeted hundreds of times! I can't believe my rough sketch made such an impact on Twitter. Here was my blog post on "Learning to Sketchnote.".
  • This school year, my department and I were able to start the year as 1:1 Chromebook classrooms. We were all able to get enough Chromebooks donated and purchased some to fill out the carts. In just the first half of the school year, we already created and used hyperdocs (examples here, here, here, and here) and had our students create their own MyMaps (examples here and here) that they will use to show their learning for the year. My students are creating and using technology responsibly. Technology has transformed my classroom and we are able to do things we could have never dreamed possible before.

I am currently halfway through the 2016-17 school year and I already have so much left in store for the second half of the school year. I am helping to organize and bring a custom EdTechTeam Summit to my district in a few weeks and have encouraged my colleagues to present with me. I will also be presenting at OCCUE this year and attending CUE later this spring. My school site has 2 departments that are 1:1 Chromebooks and are looking into designing a maker space and purchasing more technology. I recently applied to be a Google Certified Trainer and for the National Geographic Grosvenor teacher fellow program. If accepted, I am hoping to continue to learn through these programs and meet other like-minded educators to grow my PLN be inspired by them.

All of this would not have happened if I remained too afraid to challenge the status quo and afraid of hearing no. I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for my colleagues encouraging and pushing me along each step of the way. It also started with a big dream and courage to not be afraid of rejection and courage to stand up against all the challenges that got in the way.

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