Run… Jump… Hold Your Breath!
When I was younger, my family would go to Lake Norfork in northern Arkansas for our family reunion (they still do but I don’t get there all that often anymore). The lake is a wonderful place and it was great to go fishing and swimming with siblings and cousins. There is also a high cliff at one campground that provides a quasi-safe point to leap off into the water. We’d go there from time to time either by car or boat but due to my fear of heights (and sub par swimming skills), I usually was a spectator.
Around the time I was 19 or 20, we ventured to this rock again. I was all set to watch when my nephew, who was about 8 or 9, took one look at the water below, backed up and flung himself off into space. Eventually, he landed hard in the water below and popped back up beaming with excitement. After watching this two more times, it was evident that I could not be shown up. I would have to put my fear (and rationality) behind me. Tentatively, I took my place in the line of jumpers. With a gasp, I took the giant leap!
Splash! Here I am again taking another leap. I have kicked around the idea of blogging for a few years now. I’ve read certain blogs but always held back due to fear and doubt. Who would want to read what I have to say? There’s hundreds of blogs out there… what would be so special about mine. (The title “blogzillion” is a tongue and cheek shot at this. I must be the last person to start one right?).
Within the last few months, I jumped into the Twitter world (hope to post on this in the near future). Here I have been introduced to outstanding thinkers in education via chats as well as had the chance to experience ideas from books such as Shift This! by @joykirr and Teach Like a Pirate by @burgessdave. These interactions coupled with the fact that I won a free year subscription to blog from #notatiste, have forced me past those fears. A goal for this year is to see my 3rd grade students be more creators and less sponges when it comes to their learning. If I’m going to ask them to do so, how can I sit back and not jump with them?
As with any good leap of faith, I have no idea where this blogging journey will lead. But I know there is water down there somewhere… and I will eventually pop back up no matter what!