I think a rock star is someone who goes above and beyond the normal work day, steps out of his/her comfort level and seeks to make new connections.
This is the definition of a
I had the pleasure of attending #cuerockstar Tahoe in June and being on faculty in Las Vegas. WOW! I'm not quite sure if I'll ever be able to attend a regular conference again. In case you are unfamiliar with this style of PD click here.
Not only was I able to learn, I was able to meet several of my tweeps and make new connections. Meeting Lisa Nowakowski was definitely a highlight since I had participated in a blogging contest with her back at the beginning of the year. I was inspired so much in Tahoe, as a participant, that I stayed up until one in the morning finishing a song parody from one of the sessions I went to. Thanks Diane Main! I know you want to hear it, so here it is..."This is How We Write"
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| Trying not to disturb my roommate, I worked in the bathroom. |
The inspiration continued in Vegas and began with a road trip with Jennifer Kloczko and Amy Harris. Imagine three women in a car for nine hours. I know what you're thinking, gossip, gossip, gossip. WRONG! Try nine hours of talking instructional strategies, integrating tech and great kid stories. Are we teacher geeks or what? It was great. We even got excited when we stopped at Alien Fresh Jerky in Baker, CA.
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As soon as we got to our hotel, we started meeting others who were on faculty, several being tweeps I was dying to meet in person. I accompanied John Wick to the airport to pick up Doug Robertson, who is indeed a bit weird, in a good way. Instantly, I was making new connections that I knew would last. I met Kristen Beck, who lives practically in my backyard. Why it took us meeting around 600 miles away from where we live baffles me, but meet we did. I was also very excited to meet Sam Patterson and Wokka, who I have followed for a while on twitter. I haven't told you this yet, but I am a bit of a social misfit, don't do small talk well, and generally feel terribly uncomfortable being in a room of people I don't know. So putting myself out there can be difficult, but #cuerockstar gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort level in order to make new connections. I can't tell you how huge this was for me and how proud I am that I stepped up to the opportunity.
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| The Vegas Faculty minus Kristen Beck :( |
Being on faculty in Vegas gave me another great opportunity, admitting that I didn't know it all, nor should I. Believing that the smartest person in the room is the room began to relieve some stress for me as a presenter. Being on twitter for a year now has really taught me to share, not be perfect, not be a know-it-all, but to learn along side my PLN. I may have been the presenter, but I was merely there to share what I've done in my classroom in hopes to inspire others to try new things. I was not there to be the expert.
Ultimately, I achieved my goals. I pushed myself out of my comfort zones and inspired others to try new things. This was my first time presenting since I've been on twitter and it was a bit weird having people mention me in their tweets and follow me because they liked me and/or my message.
Created by Yau-Jau Ku
Thank you CUE Rock Star for this opportunity to grow. I have merely touched the tip of the iceberg with this post and have not mentioned all the wonderful people I met, conversed with and continue to get to know. As I get ready to start a new school year, I am so blessed to have been re-energized, through professional development no doubt, and am ready to continue to learn and grow as a professional and a human. I may have inspired admiration, but I'll leave the fanatical kind to the musicians.
