Sunday, October 9, 2016

Professional Development: Ed Camp Katy 2016

I am a person who is courageous and takes risks in my classroom. I strive every day to find new ways to encourage, engage, and inspire my students. I continually seek opportunities for professional development because I know that there are amazing educators out there that share insightful and creative ideas and I want to meet them. I chat on Twitter and Voxer with eduheroes who motivate me to be better. I have had a growth mindset my whole life. I have always sought out experiences for evolvement. But, I also lack the confidence to be a leader. I step outside my comfort zone within my classroom but then skirt the border when it comes to face to face interaction with my peers.

Ed Camp Katy is an amazing camp where phenomenal educators meet to chat about relevant, pertinent, and diverse topics. Rather than a speaker discussing innovation and change, a community circle is formed and everyone in the room shares ideas and insight about what they are doing in their schools and classrooms. The information is profound and thought-provoking. These edu-heroes came from various Texas school districts and everyone had stimulating and refreshing ideas. I was reluctant at first to share mine for fear that I had nothing provocative to say. Slowly over the morning however, I became more confident and began sharing my educational insight.

I learned a lot of amazing things: all teachers are leaders, be brave and share for you will be surprised at how many people will respond to your ideas in a positive way. True leadership comes from humility and letting those around you shine. Leadership is not a role but an attitude and willingness to forge relationships and mentor and collaborate and listen. I change things in my classroom all the time because I listen to my students feedback. I am always willing to authentically listen and update as necessary. A true leader is willing to let go of the reigns and let others lead. In my classroom, students are the leaders and they are the true inspiration for what I do.

Questioning is a fantastic way to drive your lessons forward. Asking the right questions is key to engagement and understanding. Rigor and grit come from challenging open-ended, thought-provoking questioning that put students in the drivers seat. Questions that intrigue and spark curiosity and ultimately create more questions and more paths of enlightenment. In my classroom, debates, think-pair-share, even 3 before me all guide students to their own learning. Knowledge should not be the focus of education. Providing opportunities for students to learn how to think and teach themselves should be the focus of education. I say to my students all the time "I am not here to teach you science, but to teach you how to teach yourself science." Allowing students to take ownership of their own learning is empowering them to be independent thinkers. This is my goal as a teacher.

Ed Camp Katy was a great experience for me because I gained confidence in myself not only as a teacher but also as a leader. Sharing ideas and innovations with other educators is critical if we want to bring about positive changes in the field. If we as teachers want to truly be innovators and risk-takers we often need inspiration, motivation, and support from those around us. Ed Camps, Twitter, Voxer and all collaborative professional development is the cornerstone of growth and advancement. When like-minded, forward-thinking teachers unite they galvanize, spur and invigorate each other and ultimately the lives of every student they teach.

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