Just Say Yes!

I tried something new this year...saying yes.

• Yes to starting a class Twitter account.
• Yes to hosting Twitter chats.
• Yes to accessing authors and educator heroes for Skype visits.
• Yes to purposefully reaching out to a fabulous and inspiring PLN of 3rd-5th grade educators.
• Yes to starting a student-to-student Twitter chat with this PLN.
• Yes to attending my first edcamp (and soon, my second).
• Yes to joining an Alabama PLN educator's new student Twitter chat (on the first day of school), focused on digital citizenship.
• Yes to collaborating with a 7th grade #sstlap educator from Missouri through a TodaysMeet back channel, discussing the Bill of Rights on Constitution Day.
• Yes to jumping on Voxer, joining a few groups and contributing/learning in a new way.
• Yes to starting my year off sharing talents through play doh, flying around the room like an airplane, and wearing an eye patch to inspire my student pirates.
• Yes to a class mantra of "You Matter" and "We are geniuses."
• Yes to participating in our first (of many) Mystery Skypes.
• Yes to making my first iMovie and Animoto videos with my students.
• Yes to using Biblionasium with my reading groups to create a motivating online book club.
• Yes to trying online eportfolios, with the help of another Twitter PLN member.

This year, I am trying anything and everything that will make a difference for my students, related to risk-taking, global connections, and their self-worth.

By saying yes, I am repeatedly pushed out of my comfort zone. There is no safety net when venturing into uncharted territory as an educator.

-I benefit by discovering the expanses of my skills and  creativity as an educator.
-My students' families benefit from increased communication  and children who have more enthusiasm for learning and  more passion for school.
-My students benefit from teacher & peer appreciation for  their talents/geniuses and participation in a classroom  beyond our four walls.

Recently, I said yes to:

• an Oreo project, culminating in a Skype stacking challenge with a class in Alabama.
• a collaborative online descriptive art/writing project with another class outside my state.
• more Mystery Skypes in the next few months.
• creating an Amazing Race literature idea via Craig Kemp after reading his blog post mentioned in the #whatisschool chat.

Who knows...I just may say yes to something new tomorrow (and the next day).

Can I say that every one of these adventures has gone off without a hitch? Of course not. However, in the words of my teacher/author friend, I have dared greatly. 

Do. Or do not. There is no try.

For my students, I will continue saying yes. The true measure of my impact on them will be when they start saying yes, too.