Teachers who Need Teachers...

...are the luckiest teachers... I was honored to read what über blogger +Vicki Davis  wrote about my year-end reflections and me in her blog. I saw Vicki present to a large room at CUE a few years back and have followed her work ever since. She is an inspiring lady and frankly it's quite humbling to think I could inspire her.

I love what she says about teachers supporting and encouraging each other, too often I have seen quite the opposite - passive aggression towards teachers who do things differently. We encourage our children to embrace diversity, let's do the same. Indeed, draw strength from each other! Teaching can be a lonely profession, without a lot of genuine adult contact. Rather than spend our time in the staff room griping, as my friend +Michael Bobrowicz  put it, let's spend our valuable moments together building each other up, sharing successes, learning from each other. We need each other, to learn from, to lean on and to grow with!

And in an act of shameless self promotion, I am sharing Vicki's comments here:

Mrs. McConnell's Blog: Top 12 Reflections on 2012 - conclusion

IN her final set of reflections, Sandy uses a new feature, that of Google plus tagging in a blogger blog, which is how I found what she wrote! IF you use blogger, use the plus and tag people and we'll find you more easily than the traffic type things. Finally an advantage for being on blogger besides just tight integration with Google.

I love how her work with edtech and ipads is part of what she's done. With all she's been through: layoffs, cancer, adding onto her house - I think I've found a new hero and definitely someone I"ve added to my PLN. I've known of her work, but now I"m a fan.

Sometimes, when you open up, share and reflect, you connect on a deeper, more personal level than if you pretend like life is perfect. TEachers, lets stick together and encourage each other.

Mrs. McConnell's Blog: My Top 12 Reflections on 2012, pt. 2

Even more inspirational, here Sandy shares how she worked hard to find a place where students are treated with compassion and inclusion and how she found someone to work with her. She also built onto her house and had surgery on a thyroid tumor. I think that some people think that innovators have it easy and they'll just work when it is easier. Sandy didn't have it easy at all and look at what she's done. I find her reflections so heartwarming and hope some of you will share your stories. We should draw strength from one another.

Mrs. McConnell's Blog: My Top 12 Reflections on 2012 pt. 1

Sandy McConnell has created a nice set of reflections for 2012, something I think all admins should want their teachers to do, where she shared her views, what she has done, and how she's improved. Such retrospection on a year is a powerful way to mark learning and remember. She's done so many things, but particularly I like how she didn't let the fact that she was temporarily laid off stop her from learning and moving forward. IF you're having a tough time, you might want to read what Sandy is and has done. She inspires me. Wow. I"ll link to all of her sets, because I"d like you to read them all.