New Lens -Same blogspace

In 2013, I was seven years into my teaching career and interested in creating a space for sharing and collaborating with colleagues globally. This is where this blog, Refrigeratorgood.com, was born. The blog became a space for me to connect and share lessons with my learning community and fellow educators I had never met across the nation. I did not know how to build a website, design custom widgets, or read HTML code at the site's creation. I remember spending hours researching websites and reading about the "how-to's" of web design. Watching the site grow taught me that it's not the product but the process that allows us to learn about ourselves and makes us grow as educators and leaders. 

Fast forward. Nearly a decade later, I transitioned to a new district and worked in different schools within my new school district, serving in three vastly different roles. My experiences ranged from a High School Teacher, Varsity Coach, Assistant Principal, and Elementary School Principal. Truth is, if it weren't for the skills I obtained through creating this site, I don't know that my professional path would be the same.

When we are not with our students, as educators, ninety percent of our time is spent reflecting, listening, and searching for ways to do things better. The educational leadership market is saturated with fantastic literature, podcasts, and TED talks. Still, most recently, I love the statements and questions posed by well-renowned superintendent Joe Sanfelippo. He states, "When we say we are just a teacher, we devalue our work and allow others to do the same." He points out that it is up to the educator to share their narrative before others write it for us. Sanfelippo poses the following question in many of his talks, "What tools do you use as educators, and where do you find the time?" The tools are all around us; we just need to remind ourselves that we have the confidence to dip our toes into uncharted water. We will continue to find out what we are capable of and what the learning "process" will teach us about ourselves.

Thank you to the mentors and leaders who provide the extra push to get back into the water and revisit the process @@DrGeorge_MU