Trust Your Parachute

This week I received BIG news! My Tedtalk was accepted to present in the Tedtalk Masterclass Showcase at ISTE 2019! To say I'm excited is an understatement. I was given an amazing opportunity to be part of the ISTE Tedtalk Masterclass course this year. Each incredible session equipped us to create our own Tedtalk that we could submit at the end of the course to ISTE for the opportunity to be selected to present at ISTE 2019. I was excited to apply all that I learned to create my own Tedtalk and receive feedback from the community, but I never dreamed my submission would actually be selected! I had to read the email at least five times to prove to myself it was actually true! I walked into my office in tears as I blurted the news to my colleague and spent the entire day in shock and disbelief. In fact, I'm not sure I remember anything else I did that day.  Along with the excitement came a healthy dose of fear. Sharing my Tedtalk at ISTE feels like jumping out of an airplane and trusting my parachute will open so that I will land gracefully in awe of the experience rather than plummeting to my death! But, when I start to feel that fear raising it's ugly head I have to remember all of the leaps I've taken over the years and what a wild and exciting adventure they've taken me on.

These past few weeks I've talked to various teachers in my district that have shared the leaps they've taken by trying new strategies, games, and digital tools in their classroom to amplify learning. In each encounter the teacher said something similar to this, "I was scared to try it, but I'm so glad I did. My students loved it! It was so worth the leap." This is exactly where I was 5 years ago. I was a dialed in, burnt out educator, that was in desperate need of taking some leaps and bringing joy back into my journey. I made a decision to strap on my aviator goggles and take a leap and I'm so incredibly glad I did. That first leap led to another, and another, and another. Each one bigger, scarier, and more exhilarating than the one before. With each leap my confidence grew exponentially and I learned more than I ever dreamed possible. The best part, is I've given up the need to be perfect. I've taken lots of leaps without everything tied up in a beautiful bow. That doesn't mean I don't take the leaps seriously or am not prepared, I am! But, if I wait for each bow to be tied perfectly there is a good chance I'd never leap in the first place.

For all of you scared of leaping, I get it! I know it's scary. But let me encourage you to do it! Strap on those aviator goggles, trust your parachute and take the leap. Breathe in the fresh air, take in the beautiful view, and SOAR! You are in for an exhilarating adventure that will take you places you never dreamed of going! 

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via GIPHY

I'd be honored if you could  join me at ISTE for the Tedtalk Masterclass Showcase! I'll be presenting on June 25th at 1:45pm. I also have two other sessions as well.

Make Learning Magical ~ June 23rd 1:30-2:30pm
Magical Adventures in the Gamified Classroom ~ June 23rd 3:00-4:00pm