18. Know Your Why - Know Your Heart - Live in Your Purpose

Feb 7

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I am so excited to share what I have been creating for you. If you took the survey that I put out at the end of last year, THANK YOU! You already have a hint to what it it. . Because of you I decided to move forward on this project. Last episode, I told you that I’m going to be using my word for the year which is ASK. Today I’m asking you to come along on a journey with me. This is a journey that is going to put you in the driving seat in a time when there are so many things up in the air.

I would like you to consider creating a passion project to fuel your creativity and joy in teaching.

What is a passion project you might ask? Passion projects are experiences that you create for yourself that bring you joy and are fueled by your curiosity. Right now you might be thinking, I’m just trying to get through the pandemic Michele. But I think that engaging in a passion project is one way to do just that. Passion projects help to focus your energy on the things that you can control. They provide a focus for your creativity. They put you in control of your own professional learning.Simply put passion projects bring you joy and are fueled by your curiosity.

Many people that you have heard from on this podcast have created passion projects. In episode 4, we talked to Michelle Haseltine a middle school communications teacher about the You Matter messages that she leaves for her students. She started sharing them on Instagram and this has inspired others to do the same. She also started a #hashtag, a facebook group, and a course around one of her favorite activities notebooking called #100daysofnotebooking. She has been notebooking since she was a child. And today she shares that practice with her students and other teachers who want to explore it for themselves and with their students.

In episode 2, we talked to Amy Chambers, an elementary teacher who spreads her love of SEL and mindfulness by creating way for teachers and parents to support each other and their children during the pandemic. She created a 30 day challenge and a course.

In our next episode we will be talking to Mike Franklin, who was Maryland Teacher of the Year and author of the book Teachers Changing the Game. He took what he knows about coaching and relationship building wrote book to share what he knows with other teachers.

All of these educators took something they love, something that they use with their own students and refined it, researched it, and found a way to share it with educators beyond their immediate circle.

This could be you. Taking charge of your joy, your professional learning, honing your leadership skills without having to leave your classroom. This could be you expanding your network of educator friends who like you have something to share with the world.