The How and Where from I Get My Inspiration to Grow as an Educator:

Although I have not been blogging recently, I have been thinking a lot about what inspired me along these years to be active in Social Media, who influenced me the most in my teaching career lately and in the past, how my personal and professional life has changed when I returned home after living abroad, how much reading about that topic have healed me and changed my way to see life. Reviewing My Back Pages I feel much younger even though I have grown much older (always inspired by lyrics of songwriters as the music lover I am).

Music and reading, as well as talking and discussing issues with friends and colleagues, have helped me go through the most difficult times of my life: not to mention those words of encouragement coming from virtual friends and colleagues which really mean the world to me. Interacting and sharing my experiences with some teachers and well-known teacher trainers, learning from the experts, taking advantage of recent online events and webinars or seminar recordings, most definitely changed my way to see my work.

Since then, blending or flipping some of classes, using pictures or digital resources for storytelling, adapting materials to learners of all types, differentiating instruction certainly added some magic and somehow spiced up my lessons.

 

In the past few years I have been kindly invited to write blog posts about giving advice to teachers who want to work abroad, my life as a teacher in a developing country and a couple more, which unfortunately and with much regret I could not accept because of family health issues.

About a year ago, a very special lady from my PLN, Malu Sciamarelli , messaged me to ask me to write for her webpage about something that inspired me. I was so sorry it has taken me a while to be in the mood to start writing again, but now I feel strong enough to do what I had promised her.

So, here I am ready to list the three of reasons why I get inspired.

Reason Number One:

I have never realized how much music and lyrics have inspired me since I started to listen to records and the radio back then in the mid seventies when I was only ten years old. As well as lyrics resonate in my head, the inspiring phrases and words I sometimes hear and read turn on a sort of device in my brain and in my heart which enables me to write.

Reason Number Two:

Despite the fact that one of my Language Professors at college once told me “I did not even know how to write well in my own language” -which can be true- , I did not give up and kept on studying.

Well, this is absolutely NOT the type of message I try to deliver as a human being and as an educator: 
I believe every person has a different talent to share with the world, something I learned by reading “Tinkerbell and Friends” with my daughter, and watching Angela Maiers You Matter talk on TED.

Reason Number Three:

I have already blogged about the fact that getting involved in Social Media has helped me to grow as better teacher and turned me into a fairly connected educator.

One of the last motivational talks I watched was one from TED:

“Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hear”  
We all have a need to be heard: adults as well as children. Dave Isay gives a very thought-provoking talk where he explains why he decided to open the first StoryCorps booth in New York’s Grand Central Terminal in 2003 with the intention of creating a quiet place where a person could honor someone who mattered to them by listening to their story. Worth watching.

I would love to hear from you, your story, your talents and source of inspiration.