Week3_Think Out Loud Blog Post #1 / Leadership and Publishing

Ciao! Now here's something new from Ann Cannizzaro.

If you are going to have a garden, not only do you need to be ready to work, you've got to be able to delegate work to others.  You combine your own leadership with providing leadership opportunities to others.  One person does not a garden grow.  Many persons become involved.  Our garden has one leader who likes to decide everything.  There is a second in command leader who controls the weed population.  There are supporting role leaders who water and harvest.  Everyone gets in on the glory job of harvesting.  Don't you just love eating cherry tomatoes and long green beans fresh-picked from the garden?


So, this leads to comments about growing and sharing knowledge gained through research.  The idea behind the publishing/leadership project is a bit daunting to me.  I really see it as a challenge to myself.  Can I overcome my insecurities about standing before an audience to present my work?  Me, Myself, and I?


I really want to speak about and discuss my ideas about education and my research project but I find myself just plain nervous when I think of presenting to the school board, or to my colleagues.  Well, not so much my colleagues.  A smaller room, a small crowd, people I know....okay.  The school board?  A public meeting?  These things I'm not so sure about.  Where is my self-confidence anyway?  My plan is to practice.  I am inviting parents in for a look at student work and a few technology demonstrations.  This will be an evening presentation....fairly informal....in my classroom.  Also, near the end of the school year, I have asked to present some of my ARP work to my colleagues.  This will be during a final day of required professional development and work time to wrap up the school year.  If these practice sessions go well, I may then believe that I really do have something to say that is worthwhile and relevant to our job as educators today.  What are my personal roadblocks?  FEAR....Insecurity....Status Quo.....  ( How do you overcome the perceived anxieties of being "up-front", when you have spent many long years (un)comfortably seated at the back? )  It's the action piece. Get up and get moving!  Lead on!