I have one more week of student teaching which is hard to believe. I learned a lot during these 15 weeks ranging from the importance of setting rules and expectations at the beginning to the importance of building positive relationships with your students. I am grateful for my cooperating teacher who showed me the ropes and truly pushed me to be the best version of myself.
The amazing @raehughart sent me a tweet on Thursday about how I should never be okay with comfort. She tweeted "Never get Comfortable - comfort means you need to try something new!". I thought about those words afterwards, and I realized that it is important to stray away from the status quo. For me, Twitter provides me with the opportunity to venture outside of my comfort zone and take a risk. I joined Twitter last May, and in a year, I have grown my PLN to include over 2,000 members which is truly humbling due to having that notion of just being a pre-service teacher and not having a lot to offer. I could not have been more wrong because I have heard from a few individuals that I inspire them to connect on Twitter and take a risk. That article that was published by the college of education at my university meant a lot to me because it showed me that my hard work is paying off and that people do take note of the time I spend building my own network. At first, Twitter was just a hobby during the summer, and I tried to participate in at least one chat each evening. I took about an hour a night to jump in and connect with others, and even throughout the school year, I still devote an hour to unwind and jump on Twitter in order to get recharged for the day ahead. Now, of course, it is an investment due to needing to find the time to get on Twitter and connect with others, but, to me, the growth I have experienced is worth more than anything. I consider myself to be an introvert, and Twitter gave me the confidence I need to share my thoughts with the world. I have always loved to write, but I never would have started a blog if I did not see others doing it on Twitter. My PLN is interested in hearing my perspective due to it being a fresh perspective, and the fact that I have had opportunities to be a leader in terms of starting my own chat and even contributing door prizes to the edcamp is great. I am able to learn from others, and although I have a lot to learn, I feel like I am heading in the right direction due to staying connected and learning more about the profession that is my passion. I recently watched "The Greatest Showman", and one quote from the song "The Other Side" resonates with me. That line is "So trade that typical for something colorful. And if it's crazy, live a little crazy." I took a risk and joined Twitter a year ago. My professors have been super supportive and encouraging, and although it is an investment, Twitter has changed my life. I am a testament to the impact Twitter can have because, although I am still looking for a teaching position, I know that I can mention the professional development opportunities that I have had and the fact that I learn beyond the classroom. I am young and excited about my future, and I know that my passion will be sustained due to continuing to make it a priority to connect on Twitter. I am still in shock when people say I inspire because I am continuously inspired my members of my PLN who are innovative, kind, and true leaders that push me to be better on a daily basis. I do not want to settle for average. Of course, I want to teach and make a difference, but Twitter gives me the chance to be a leader. I go on Twitter because I have a passion for learning, and I am doing it for the students that I teach. I want to teach better and stay current so that I can give my students the education that they deserve. I am okay with taking risks because I know that implementing something new takes time. As a soon to be 1st year teacher, I know that I want to feel comfortable and play it safe, but that strays away from what I desire from myself. I want to dip my toes in just like a child slowly entering the ocean, but eventually, I want to dive right in and let the waves propel me in the direction I want to go. I have a dream to write a book pertaining to education and my social media usage, but, again, I do this because I love working with young adolescents and have been inspired by the gifts they share with the world.
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AuthorMy name is Ms. Jachymiak, and I am a pre-service teacher currently attending Illinois State University. This blog follows my journey as a student teacher. @MsJachymiak Archives
May 2018
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