How can I stretch myself next year? What new endeavor could I undertake? These were the thoughts running through my mind as I began looking ahead to my second year as a literacy coach. I felt inspired by the many literacy websites and blogs I came across as I searched for new and interesting professional resources or classroom tips to share with teachers (beyond the ever popular Pinterest and Teachers pay Teachers!) Along my cyberspace travels I made a pit stop at Two Writing Teachers and discovered a community of writers that put themselves out there on a weekly basis in A Slice of Life Challenge. Then I lingered in A Literate Life and found myself simultaneously energized and left wondering, “How does she find the time?!?” I even drew mommy inspiration from Hands Free Mama and realized I can’t do it all perfectly, and that’s ok. Just make the small moments count. And then I stumbled upon a quote that lived in the shadows of my mind all of last year – “It’s in the uncomfortable stretch that we grow.” This stopped me in my tracks.
I have never been overly extroverted, never the first hand raised or the loudest voice in the crowd. However, there I was, the K-5 district literacy coach working with teachers I hadn’t previously worked with, learning curriculum that I never taught, and even leading groups through professional development opportunities. It became my job to put myself out there and become a stronger voice. For me, this was as uncomfortable of a stretch as I could make. I kept working at it and stretching in new ways until it wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. The end result was growth.
After this initial growth spurt, I began asking myself, “How can I stretch more?” The answer came surprisingly fast. I will start a blog, a space for my colleagues to share resources and hopefully learn something new. Many of you may be thinking, “What’s so uncomfortable about that?” For those that know me well, the answer is EVERYTHING! I am as un-techy as they come. I still carry around a paper planner and have no idea how to tweet. For me, creating a blog is equivalent to climbing Mount Everest or learning Greek. But an internal nudge kept pushing me forward. A little voice kept reminding me that stepping outside of my comfort zone equaled growth.
So here I am, launching a blog, putting myself out there in a way I never imagined. I will be the first to say, it is nowhere near perfect or as fancy as the blogs I visit on a daily basis. However, it has been a labor of love that I have devoted much thought, time, energy, and yes, stretching. I hope that you find something here that you feel inspired to try – whether it is a classroom chart or a teacher suggestion. My vision is that this becomes a space for all of you. My hope is that this space is not only filled with my words, but your responses, comments, pictures, and yes, even guest blogs. You all do such amazing work that deserves to be shared and showcased.
Want to share a great chart you made? Email me a picture. Want to blog about something interesting you are trying in your classroom? Let me know. This space is for you.
In closing I would like to leave you with a few questions to ponder. In what way are you going to stretch yourself? What new challenge will you tackle? Small groups? Conferring? Assessment? Choose an area you feel the weakest and stretch those muscles. Remember, it’s in the uncomfortable stretch that we grow. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Please leave a comment. I would love to read how you are planning to stretch yourself.
I have never been overly extroverted, never the first hand raised or the loudest voice in the crowd. However, there I was, the K-5 district literacy coach working with teachers I hadn’t previously worked with, learning curriculum that I never taught, and even leading groups through professional development opportunities. It became my job to put myself out there and become a stronger voice. For me, this was as uncomfortable of a stretch as I could make. I kept working at it and stretching in new ways until it wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. The end result was growth.
After this initial growth spurt, I began asking myself, “How can I stretch more?” The answer came surprisingly fast. I will start a blog, a space for my colleagues to share resources and hopefully learn something new. Many of you may be thinking, “What’s so uncomfortable about that?” For those that know me well, the answer is EVERYTHING! I am as un-techy as they come. I still carry around a paper planner and have no idea how to tweet. For me, creating a blog is equivalent to climbing Mount Everest or learning Greek. But an internal nudge kept pushing me forward. A little voice kept reminding me that stepping outside of my comfort zone equaled growth.
So here I am, launching a blog, putting myself out there in a way I never imagined. I will be the first to say, it is nowhere near perfect or as fancy as the blogs I visit on a daily basis. However, it has been a labor of love that I have devoted much thought, time, energy, and yes, stretching. I hope that you find something here that you feel inspired to try – whether it is a classroom chart or a teacher suggestion. My vision is that this becomes a space for all of you. My hope is that this space is not only filled with my words, but your responses, comments, pictures, and yes, even guest blogs. You all do such amazing work that deserves to be shared and showcased.
Want to share a great chart you made? Email me a picture. Want to blog about something interesting you are trying in your classroom? Let me know. This space is for you.
In closing I would like to leave you with a few questions to ponder. In what way are you going to stretch yourself? What new challenge will you tackle? Small groups? Conferring? Assessment? Choose an area you feel the weakest and stretch those muscles. Remember, it’s in the uncomfortable stretch that we grow. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Please leave a comment. I would love to read how you are planning to stretch yourself.