This is a tough one. I have thought hard about this latest prompt from the 30-day Blogging Challenge. Who is my most inspirational colleague?
I have worked with inspirational colleagues from the day I started teaching 29 years ago. I currently work with many wonderful and inspirational colleagues. I learn from them every day and try to imitate their practices. It is impossible to choose one, really.
So, I’m taking a different approach. Instead of naming a person, I am going to name a tool that has connected me to a world of inspirational colleagues: Twitter. About four years ago, a teacher in my school (who is very inspirational) told the staff how his professional life was transformed from the connections he made on Twitter. I was intrigued.
Soon after, I signed up for Twitter, with every intention of gaining the same benefits my colleague had mentioned. It didn’t happen. Other priorities took over and I never got past the initial hurdles of establishing connections through Twitter.
This past year, however, I had to use Twitter as part of my sixth year program. After a year of “guided practice,” I can now say that Twitter has introduced me to many inspirational colleagues from around the world. I am still trying to learn how to manage this influx of information while trying not to feel overwhelmed, but this is a good problem. Check out who I follow on Twitter to see where I get my inspiration.
cc image by jasonh1234
