United Arab Emirates - Here I Come!
The bus pulled away and I was overcome with emotion. I left my family standing on the sidewalk. I have never been away from my family like this before. My 8 year old son has an uncomfortable look on his face and keeps staring at the schedule in his hand for his week - the one I made that does not include mom. I have been invited by the ALA to speak about what happens in my little corner of the world on the other side of the world (The United Arab Emirates).
As the quiet bus makes its way through the dark streets to the airport I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude to so many who have been instrumental in my growth as an educator in ways big and small.
When I began sharing my big news, most people wanted to know how. How did I land this amazing opportunity? The truth is it was years in the making, years of building my Professional Learning Network. Thanks to Twitter, EdCamps, NerdCamps and technology I have been able to develop relationships with colleagues all over the globe and grow my capacity as an educator.
Two years in a row my family vacationed in Michigan so I could attend @NerdCamp. We took 2,000+ mile road trips so I could attend. (Doesn't everyone drag their family across the country to spend time with their Nerdy tribe)? There at NerdCamp I met Kathy Burnette who presented at this very same conference I am attending now and was responsible for getting me on this year's contingent of librarians from the United States.
Conveniently one of last year's presenters, Andy Plemmons was presenting at a conference I was attending only weeks before this conference and we had lunch together. He generously told me about his experiences and prepared me for the conference.
And then there was Sherry Gick (former presenter). She reached out to me, sending me messages of encouragement despite the fact that we had only briefly met once.
I feel so much support from colleagues in my backyard and all over the country today and everyday which is truly a testament to our profession and the generous people that abound. I am on this journey because my PLN has made me a better teacher. My colleagues near and far inspire me to try new things. They cheer me on when things go well and help me pick up the pieces when they don't. I am eternally grateful for other "voices from the trench."
Now it is time for me to pay it forward. I watched Kathy, Andy and Sherry journey through Sharjah last year. I hope to capture my experiences here and on Twitter to share with my tribe.
As the quiet bus makes its way through the dark streets to the airport I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude to so many who have been instrumental in my growth as an educator in ways big and small.
When I began sharing my big news, most people wanted to know how. How did I land this amazing opportunity? The truth is it was years in the making, years of building my Professional Learning Network. Thanks to Twitter, EdCamps, NerdCamps and technology I have been able to develop relationships with colleagues all over the globe and grow my capacity as an educator.
Two years in a row my family vacationed in Michigan so I could attend @NerdCamp. We took 2,000+ mile road trips so I could attend. (Doesn't everyone drag their family across the country to spend time with their Nerdy tribe)? There at NerdCamp I met Kathy Burnette who presented at this very same conference I am attending now and was responsible for getting me on this year's contingent of librarians from the United States.
Conveniently one of last year's presenters, Andy Plemmons was presenting at a conference I was attending only weeks before this conference and we had lunch together. He generously told me about his experiences and prepared me for the conference.
And then there was Sherry Gick (former presenter). She reached out to me, sending me messages of encouragement despite the fact that we had only briefly met once.
I feel so much support from colleagues in my backyard and all over the country today and everyday which is truly a testament to our profession and the generous people that abound. I am on this journey because my PLN has made me a better teacher. My colleagues near and far inspire me to try new things. They cheer me on when things go well and help me pick up the pieces when they don't. I am eternally grateful for other "voices from the trench."
Now it is time for me to pay it forward. I watched Kathy, Andy and Sherry journey through Sharjah last year. I hope to capture my experiences here and on Twitter to share with my tribe.
HOW EXCITING! I have heard all about Sherry & Andy's experiences so can't wait to hear about yours!
ReplyDeleteIt was an amazing opportunity! My reflections are soon to follow. Check out my Twitter account - I Tweeted daily so it would be fresh on my mind.
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