As I listened to my Voxer messages on my way to work one morning, someone said something simple that really struck me--you have to have the courage to press the orange button. (If you don't know Voxer, there's an orange button that you press to record your voice to send your message out.) The person that said it was encouraging others in the group. Come on. Press the button. You can do this!
Since then, I've noticed evidence of metaphorical button pushing all over the place. One motivated teacher was interested in flexible seating for her classroom. She knew this was a risk and outside of what her colleagues might consider, but she pressed the button anyways. She created a plan for seating options in her classroom and went for it, resulting in enthusiastic and engaged students.
Another teacher, a digital immigrant, wanted to find new ways to involve her students in her ELA lessons. While she was ready to try something different, she wasn't convinced that technology was the way to go. She collaborated with another colleague and learned a few apps that could infuse technology and increase student participation in class. She pushed the orange button and even showcased her new learning for her annual classroom observation.
Some teachers are still pretty reluctant to push the button. Perhaps it's that they don't like the sound of their own voice. Or maybe it's the fear of stumbling as your speaking. I get that--I had those same fears at first too. But, I hope that the reason isn't that they don't think they have anything important to say. Sharing your ideas is critical to growing as an educator. So, maybe your vox isn't mind-blowing. That's OK! It doesn't have to be. It does, however represent the opportunity for you to connect with other educators--just by pressing that button.
Go ahead . . . you can do it.
PRESS IT !
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