Paradoxical much?

It really is 2017 friends! Thank goodness. I’m ready to move on to a new year anyway.

My To-Do list is already filling up and theme of “Prioritize” keeps running through my head. I’m not keen on creating New Year’s resolutions, because often I just forget them. I can’t help to think that this one word is calling me to action. I must do a better job at it this year.

As educators, I believe it is imperative to prioritize our work and responsibilities according to our goals and philosophy of learning/education. When I do this, my life, work, and passion are in alignment and I feel empowered by what I do, and not bogged down by just having “a job”.

I’ll be the first to admit I sometimes often take on tasks that are cumbersome and time consuming.  Like a challenging work-out routine, I initially moan, groan, and begrudgingly start moving. BUT I GET IT DONE, because I know every task I take on is in alignment with what I believe is important to me. I always end with a smile on my face and sound sense of accomplishment. If I don’t feel this way in the end, I can be rest assured that the task didn’t align with my beliefs and I probably shouldn’t have done it in the first place.

This brings me back to Prioritizing. I need to say “No” more often, because ultimately it allows me to say “Yes” to all the things that I truly believe in doing. However, I must possess a very deep understanding of myself and my educational philosophy before I start dolling out non-apologetic “No’s”. Otherwise, I might just be saying “No”, because a task may seem to overwhelming or daunting to my ego. (My ego is sassy and needs to be put in its place every now and then.)

Things I’ll be saying “Yes” to in 2017:

  • Creating rich, deep, and meaningful learning experiences for teachers (because it helps kids)
  • Becoming more knowledgeable in the educational political sphere, both locally and Nationally. (Because this knowledge ultimately helps me make decisions in the best interest of children)
  • Pushing learning management system tools to organize content in classrooms (because it helps kids)
  • Helping educators develop future ready classrooms that prepare our youth for jobs/careers that don’t even exist yet (because it helps kids)
  • Coaching educators in reflecting on their own practice and aiding them in reaching their full potential as a teacher (because it helps kids)

So are these goals? Maybe. Do I firmly believe these things will help me reach my own full potential? Wholeheartedly.