Get Some Perspective

Being a connected educator is wonderful for many reasons.  I love the ease with which I can access ideas and inspiration.  Relying on and building upon the ideas of others makes me more efficient and effective.  

But the best thing about being connected is gaining perspective.  By ourselves, it is easy to think that the issues and problems we face are unique.  To a certain extent, situations are unique to the schools in which they occur.  But if we try and solve them in a solitary state, we are working harder than we need to be and we are overlooking the valuable experience of other schools and educators.

Being connected exposes me to solutions that I would not have considered alone.  It also makes me realize that I am not alone. Situations I face with students, colleagues and parents have been faced and overcome by other educators.  Knowing this makes me realize that they are not insurmountable and I don't need to problem solve alone.  Problems that seem huge really aren't and solutions that seem impossible become attainable.  A little perspective goes a really long way.

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”

― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden