You know how there are people on Twitter you kind of know but not really? You see their smiley avatars and occasionally Re-Tweet their links or post, but you have never really “talked” to them. After an especially insightful tweet, you look up their bio again, follow the bread crumbs to their blog and say, “Maybe it is time I add this one to my RSS.” And when you do, suddenly that person begins to open up and bloom in your life. You get a few more bits and pixels of who they are. Suddenly, you start to notice their tweets more often and find yourself commenting on their blogs. Maybe there is the occasionally Skype call, and before you know it he unmet friend is in your midst and you cannot recall a time before you “knew” them, oh and of course you have still never met in “real” life.
Well it may be premature, but I think I may have found an kindred spirit. I do not know her well enough to say for sure, but I like her open and enthusiastic vibe. Last week I added Katie Hellerman‘s blog The Teaching Game to my RSS and have been pleasantly surprised by her eagerness to build community and make connections. For me, it started with her post Getting What I Really Want Out of Twitter. Which was followed by her Connection Challange.
This post is me taking up the challenge Katie! I have chosen you as the person I want to learn more about and perhaps work with. I understand that these things should happen organically if we want them to be authentic, but by mentioning her in my space, I hope I am talking a positive first step to help not only build our relationship, but hopefully also introduce her to my network as well. And of course there are connections we share already, so maybe this intensification will help cement and tighten bongs elsewhere.
After I commented on her blog, Katie sent me an email to which I responded with this post:
Hello again Katie,
I felt weird responding to you via email, because I thought the whole point was to open up and share in order to build community. I have chosen to post my email to you’re here on my blog, in hopes that maybe others new to my blog will find my introduction useful as well.
You ask why I am in Jakarta, so let me start there. I have been teaching at international schools for seven years now I started in Kuala Lumpur, then I was in Qatar and now Jakarta. I like to live overseas, because I feel the world is too big to waste living in one country. I want to expose my children to different experiences and show them the world is a place to absorb and learn from. I also taught for two years in the US Peace Corps in Mozambique where I met my lovely wife.
Born in Iran and raised in the Bay Area, I find nationalism and culture stifling and tedious. I would rather be seen as an internationalist. Simply put I grew tired of the States. I occasionally miss home, but I am spending my summer in Thailand this year, so I quickly get over it.
You ask about my goals beyond what I am doing. I love working with kids. I love watching them grow and explore. I am currently teaching middle school, but I would like to teach higher level English course and dabble in working with teachers. I have never envisioned myself doing anything but teaching, so I see myself as the old-long-white haired dude at a school well into my sixties. Never a fan of ambition, my goal is to raise two world wise daughters, find some kind of peace in my heart, and maybe make a difference in the lives of the children I encounter.
Wait I lied! I also want to publish a few novels, record an album, tour the world and be a rock star of sorts. I want to run for public office in the States and climb a few mountains. I want to travel to every continent and learn to play the clarinet and ukulele.
As for the rest of my story, it is unfolding everyday here on the Internet. You can find my passions, my music, my books, my art, my life tucked away in various nooks and crannies of the web. I feel it is all to convoluted and complex to be simplified in a blog post, that is why I write it and sing it and smear it in as many places as I can. You want to know me better, drop me a line, start a conversation and I will keep up my end, just ask the people who already “know” me.
Balls in your court! What more can you tell me about you? Here is my challenge to you: find something I have done on the web that somehow grabbed your attention and leave a comment. I will work from there to connect it back to you.
As for you dear reader, what do you think of Katie’s challenge? What brought you here? What are you offering? How can we take our relationship to the next level? What do you want to know? What are you willing to share? Go ahead, confess, spill your guts. Let’s see what you got!
Jabiz,
Well this is quite a thing we’ve started here. I’m glad that you responded, because I was starting to feel like a bit of a pariah.
I’m still pushing my public/private edges…so hence the email. But now that I think about it, I like the idea of relationship and connection unfolding in a very visible setting. So many times I wonder how people came to know each other so well. Why not let it unfold in front of everyone’s eyes? Hopefully it will inspire a few others to do the same.
I cannot promise complete eloquence or epic coolness. I can promise that I won’t flake out. I accept your first challenge.
And so it begins!
Don’t let the open publicity scare you off. Feel free to continue to email if that is more comfortable. I will keep what you share confidential if that is what you prefer.
Not scared. Totally juiced. Just needed a push to change my thinking. It’s a fantastic idea. I wish I’d thought of it myself. 🙂
Jabiz,
Here is what is interesting…I already knew all of those things about you. I have been following you on Twitter for a while (not sure how long) and got to Skype with you in my class last year. While many would see that as a superficial relationship, there isn’t anything in your post that I didn’t already know. When I am teaching friends and colleagues about Twitter, I always emphasize that you must give some of yourself on there in order to build a good community. If all we ever talk about is work stuff, then we are missing out on how building relationships, whether professional or personal, really works.
You said, “you must give some of yourself on there in order to build a good community” and I totally agree. You make a great point, but in the spirit of honesty I do not know that much about you. So where should I look? What should I know? Where can we get to “know” you?
Hi Jabiz,
I love reading your tweets & now your blog. As a newbie to edutweeting, I am often wondering how everyone has developed connections. I enjoy hearing/reading different perspectives
and sharing ideas/resources. I’m about to enter my 10th yr of teaching, and have completely shifted the way I lead our class. Twitter gives me inspiration to keep going. Especially when coworkers are less than enthused about my changes.
I’m a Canadian. I love to travel. I love to learn. I love to cook! I love watching mixed martial arts. I love to have fun!
Hmm…. I also enjoy connecting with people all over the world! Our class has connected with a new person/class each week this month because of my twittering!
So, I guess after all these words I really just wanted to say thanks for tweeting & sharing!
Crystal
Thanks Crystal. Just a quick tip without a link back to your blog or a Twitter name how can we find you “out there”?
Thanks for opening up. I think little things are what connect people and these connections take time. We cannot force ourselves to have things in common. Sometimes we do and most often we don’t. Many of the people I am connected to have a strong sense of social justice, love music, and pushing the limits of what networks can do.
Hi Jabiz, I am relatively new to blogging, commenting, tweeting, readers etc but enjoy reading posts and reflecting on issues raised. I too am international teacher and have worked in Singapore and now Bangkok for the pas 10 years and I have loved all the adventure it has brought our way. I met my husband, had my son, and (cheesily) grew as a teacher and person. However, unlike you, I always miss home. Maybe it’s because we’re living in downtown BKK, and my son is growing up on a balcony but we can’t wait to move home and watch him enjoy an Australian childhood. Cousins. football, grass, parks, beach, grandparents… we want it all. Unfortunately our teaching heaven can’t come with us so it’ll be back to large classes, unruly behaviour but I am so craving that too. I feel that the student’s I teach are wonderful but oh so privileged. I want to go back to where I started, a government public school, and try and make a difference there.
I guess I have been quite intrigued by your posts/site for selfish reasons. I like the design and the way you’ve open yourself right up. I am currently working towards my Masters and one component of my course is to create an online ‘professional’ portfolio (hence my question on how to link the pages tab to an external site). It’s funny as when I first started building it I was so worried about how I would come across. Other people in my course have amazingly professional looking portfolios and I didn’t want to “fail”. I started by writing in a way that I thought was more serious and teacher-like and for days it just didn’t seem to work. I had a breakthrough a couple of nights ago and basically said, stuff it, I’m just writing the way I speak. I did and it worked. My writing sounds like me and I feel on track with my task. When it’s at a stage I feel comfortable at I will happily forward on for you to comment on.
Anyway, so that’s the beginnings of me. Who knew 4 months ago I’d be sitting here on a Saturday night writing a comment on a blog post, too funny!
Thanks for help re my it question, I appreciate it.
Simone
Great comment! Thanks Simone.
I know what you are saying about wanting a “normal” child hood for our kids, but it has to be a trade off right? I mean my daughter has been so many places and says things like, “next time we go to Bali can we….”She’s been to Africa and many parts of Asia. Her idea pf the world is that it is tiny and easy to see it all. I love that and having a normal upbringing cannot give her that, but I agree that sometimes just being back home sounds nice.
I also totally understand what you mean about working at a privileged school. I started teaching to change the world. I worked in Africa and the Bronx with kids that mattered, but now that I am over seas I see that children and children and ignorance is ignorance. There are many things we can teach these kids about how to interact with the world. I am still struggling with these choices and will not pretend that I can answer them in this comment. But I applaud you for knowing why you are teaching and looking forward to fighting the good fight!
Final note: Write what you feel! Forget about how it sounds and how people will respond. As is evidence by this post, my blog and all the places I exist online, I believe that open, honest, raw expression demands more respect than tying to be who you are not. There should be no fear in vulnerability only empowerment.
Let’er rip and share what you write. We are here, we will read.
Thanks Jabiz. I totally agree about the trade off and our hope is to head home for 2-3 years just so Oscar actually gets to know his extended family in real life, rather than over our skype video calls. We then want to head OS again but the way I view it, going home IS another move internationally. I haven’t lived in Australia for 10 years and will return to a State I have never lived or worked in. It’s just another expat post in my eyes (without the live-in nanny – oh no!!) BUT with the all the creature comforts of my favourite foods in one supermarket! No more scouring 3 different places to get the ingredients of just one meal.
I often wonder how teachers claim they will never go home. This isn’t pointed at you by any means but I love the ideas of roots and history in a house. Maybe I needed to live in another time or maybe it’s because of my own uprooted childhood but I am warming to my husband’s dream of a farm, chickens, in-laws down the road and taking the kids fishing! Just warming to it… not agreeing to it (in case he reads this).
I should have mentioned too that my parents are Sicilian and I am first generation Australia so it’s hard to escape the family love. While usually they kill me with kindness, there is nothing better than a house filled with crazy family, enough food for an army and kids running barefoot screaming.
I think you do get a pretty good idea of what a person is about from what they post , if they post enough. As newbie, i often feel like I’m butting into established group of friends, uninvited. So thanls for the invite. Twitter is hard 2 get used 2 because communication here feels oneway: you don’t necessarily get an answer when you ‘ speak’. This can feel like not being heard.
I am vp at an inner city school in Surrey B C. My background is counselling and special education which i am also passionate about. I also teach 4th year course at UBC “role of the teacher in guidance”. I live in valley 2hours from vancouver with 2 sons and 3 cats. We are about to add dog to our family-excited!
Im just finishing 2week spring break during which i slept and read. A lot. Thanks for this opp to get 2 know ppl better !
Hello Vici,
I know what you mean about the feeling that you are butting into an existing group, I have often felt that way as well, but experience has taught me that most people interacting online are very open and inviting.
A post like this may feel a bit forced an artificial and for the most part it is, but it an do wonders in making a few more lasting connections. I think building online relationships like in the “real” world takes time and commitment. You are right that we get to know each other better depending on how much we share, but commenting and interacting speeds up the process. That is why I am glad you are here.
I feel the closest with the people who regular read and comment on my blog. Now we are not able to build his level of connection with all the blogs we read, nor should we. I am a firm believer in the the tribe model- find people who you admire and respect and have things in common with: support them, share with them, and before you know you will feel connected.
In other news, I have worked in inner city schools so I understand both the challenges and rewards of the experience. Take a look at this post-http://intrepidflame.blogspot.com/2006/01/children-left-behind.html
What is your Twitter handle?
Dear Jabiz,
Thank you for this post. I have only been blogging since June 2010 and cannot believe all of the friendships, connections I have made through that short time. However, even with all of that, sometimes we forget to look past the tweets and the comments to see who is really behind all of this. I was drawn to your blog a couple of months ago and have found myself pondering about many of your questions, particularly how we can turn other teachers onto the power of social media. I struggle with that on a daily basis.
Today I find myself making a new connection with you. I am a Danish citizen who has been in America for 13 years, 4 years now as a teacher, and I am ready to stretch my wings. I started applying for International Schools in February and hope that within the next year, someone will take a chance on my family and me. I too want to show my daughter that there is more to the world than just America and I feel like I could become a better teacher by getting out of my comfort zone. My husband and I have spoken about whether this is our swan song in America, maybe from now on we move from international school to international school, always exploring the world. How does your wife like all of the moving? What does she do? i feel like it is an obstacle that my husband isn’t a teacher, but rather a house builder but still feel that with his skills in design and building, he would be able to find a job anywhere in the world.
So enough with my rambling, just thank you for writing this post.
Best,
pernille
Hi Pernille,
I think a post like this is a great example of talking a Twitter identity and adding some muscle to the bones. From now on when I look at your avatar, I will have a deeper understanding of who you are. I will try to find connections based on International schools and it has forced me to take a look at yout blog-all good things!
My wife is also a teacher and becoming more involved online. I have introduced you via Twitter. Looking forward to getting to know you better. Let me know where you end up internationally. It is a smaller world than you think.
Hey, Jabiz. Through your post and challenge to my RT, I feel compelled to be more open and work a little harder on developing our bond. First, let me say I really appreciate your openness and what you write. I was recently asked what my “must-read” blogs are, and I now confess to you that every time I open my reader yours, John Spencer’s, Bill Ferriter’s, Scott McLeod’s, Kelly Love’s and Richard Beck’s are the ones I first check for new updates. Then, I read all. All that to say, I appreciate what you write here (and the music and videos you create).
Things are a little crazy for me right now (see http://bit.ly/dJJsNo), but I do long for a deeper connection. I’m going to attempt to write a deeper introduction to myself on my blog, then I ‘ll tweet you the link. I’ll also attempt to do a better job of making comments from time to time. Building friendships require prioritizing time. I’m going to do my best. Thank you for sharing, Jabiz. I deeply admire your openness.
Thank you Philip for your kind and humbling words. When I first started blogging, I had maybe two readers and seldom a comment. I feel proud to know that a post now gets a a decent viewing, and a few comments, more importantly I am very excited to know that people look forward to my work.
I know what it is like to skim through an RSS feed feeling overwhelmed, so it is very exciting to know that there are a few people out there who look forward to my work and take the time to read. Pressure is on now, to keep writing worthwhile material.
Thank you for saying you will try and make an effort to comment more often, but please, I understand how busy life can get. Just keep reading and comment when you feel you have no choice.
Jabiz,
Very cool idea here. Jabiz, indeed, you put yourself on the line and open up. I really respect that. Keep on posting the songs…I agree with you that the virtual world can make us look better than we really are. We are…we make mistakes…we, hopefully, try to get better.
I moved to Clyde River, Nunavut, an Inuit community of 850, in 1999 from Newfoundland via New Brunswick. It was my first year teaching. I started teaching a little later at 30 years old. I spent 6 years in Clyde River and then moved on to Iqaluit, my current residence, and the Capital of Nunavut. There is about 7000 people here.
I fell in love with Nunavut. The people, culture, and land are fantastic. Moreover, I am constantly learning more and more of the language of the Inuit, Inuktitut. I came here for a year 12 years ago but have been unable to leave because I love it.
Not sure if this sheds any more light on what you know about me but, hopefully, there will be more to write in the future.
Brian
My blog: http://nunavutteacher.blogspot.com/
My twitter handle @nunavut_teacher (http://twitter.com/#!/Nunavut_Teacher)
Wow! I just googled- Clyde River, Nunavut and am blown away by where you live. It is so amazing that you can live so far away and still be so connected. I feel our relationship is organically growing and that makes me very happy, but even this little nudge has been good. I always take a while to add a blog to my RSS because I want to make sure I will read the material, but one I do it always seems to make the connections that much stronger, but really I think we need more than just professional blogs. We meet and connect through pictures and videos and life online. Are you on Flickr? I would love to see pictures of where you live!
Thanks for being such a great supporter of my work, now I hope to return the favor.
Here is the original email for the world to see.. 🙂
Dear Jabiz,
I’m so stoked to get to know you better. As I said I’ve been following you since July. I think you tweeted a lot with John Spencer at a certain point and that’s how I found you. I also think we both know George Couros.
Let see…what can I tell you…
I’m really passionate about working with new teachers and cultivating positive school culture. I would say that 80% of my energy goes towards cultivating relationships and making sure that I’m showing my students and colleagues that I care about them. I’m a really positive person, but I swear like a sailor.
My ultimate professional goal is to become “The (a) Teacher Whisperer” (kind of like the dog whisper but for teachers). At the moment, I’m finding that I need to do a little bit more dirt time teaching before (most) people will believe anything I have to say. In the mean time, I’m really enjoying sharing what I have via my blog and helping new teachers via twitter.
I can’t really say I’m from anywhere. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago but have lived in: MI, MA, NC, CA, TN, Cuba and most recently Costa Rica. I’m back in Chicago at the moment and am the interim middle school Spanish teacher at an independent school in Chicago.
My greatest love is surfing and the ocean. Musically, I’m into almost everything….last night I listened to: Lupe Fiasco, Passion Pit, Beyonce, and Dar Williams. I use to bake a lot; but since I’ve been on a wheat, dairy and sugar free diet (last half a year), I’m not that enthused about cooking.
Why are you in Jakarta? Is it a place you choose to be in? What are your goals beyond what you are doing now? Tell me more of your story when you get a chance.
cheers,
klh
Good afternoon, Jabiz,
Hmm. That’s quite the challenge: Tell more about myself.
Deliberate and random and wishing I was just a bit braver.
I am deliberate in much of the way I live: issues of social justice matter to me even when saying so and acting upon have jeopardized employment. Taking stands allow me to better understand myself and strengthen my core beliefs. I love those in my life (husband [@rcohen54], son, extended family, friends) greatly, fiercely and am loved by them in ways that humble me, reassure me, and most definitely entertain me. Having been married to Rob for 20 years I get that love is imperfect and that is why it is so tangible, human, and necessary, as is he. As a mom, I recognize and fear how little (with regard to outcome) is in my hands when it comes to my son. And so, it should not surprise then, that I am less inclined to value ambiguity when I think of him growing up. I want to make sure he is safe, secure, always walking with the knowledge that he is loved. I had no idea that much would be left to chance.
I tend to punctuate the deliberateness with which I live by not shying away from random happenings, thoughts, and impulses. I often let my camera lead me and so trust in the kindness of others that the privilege I feel to tell their stories (partial at best) is communicated. It is not the finished image that makes me want to make photographs, but more so the exchange of energy that happens when I connect with my subject. This is why I make art. I tell you here, it is a physical connection, as well as emotional– as if my hand, and eye and camera were physically locked on the subject and not even driving a train through could disrupt that energy.
My family and I seek a certain amount of randomness on family holidays when we get in the car and just drive, letting road lead to road, or airport to airport, and even now and then an occasional train. When traveling, nothing would make me sadder than being on a tour. Rob and I often talk about selling it all and moving. Just last week he polled the family on moving to Egypt. We also talk about not having our son attend high school, and instead seeing the world. Like you Jabiz, I too think the world is a place worth being in and feel limited by remaining in one country. I was originally from Dublin, Ireland, but have spent most of my life living in USA and now we live about 20 minutes west of Manhattan (NYC). I wish I was a bit braver and could walk away from some obligations and be a more global citizen.
My employment has rooted me. For the last 25+ years I have worked as a teacher, administrator, professor and consultant. I have been fortunate to have access to great schools to learn in (formally) and work in and colleagues who inspire me to be far better than I thought I might be.
My photography and writing is published and represented (in part) on the Internet. I invite you to seek it out (just query my name).
Someday I hope to travel the world with Rob, our son, and a camera.
Thanks Mary. Like I told Brian, I feel our relationship is organically growing and I see many parallels in our world view and artistic values. Nonetheless, it is nice to get a few small talking points. Didn’t realize you were Irish or that you live near NYC. I always enjoy your art and reading your posts, like Phillip mentioned, perhaps it is time for me to be a better supporter.
See you on Twitter. Oh and tell your husband that his Twitter bio need some TLC!
Thanks Jabiz. I’ll tell him but he thinks twitter is for the birds:)
Jabiz,
I found it very interesting that I did not have your blog in my rss feed. Honestly though I have so many great blogs there now I can’t keep up with it. What really caught my eye was that we both started blogs for our kids. http://berkybus.blogspot.com/ and http://neenanjones.blogspot.com/
Currently I teach math to 8th graders in Illinois. In a few months I hope to finish my principal’s certificate and perhaps teach teachers a thing or two.
I’m not really a social person per se. I like mostly to observe and learn from those more wise than I. I’m happy to talk at any time, I’m just not usually the one to initiate the conversation.
So please if you or others reading this blog are looking for someone to bounce ideas off of, be a guest in a classroom, or even a warm body to test and or show of Skype or ooVoo you are welcome to call.
Skype brendanmurphy68
ooVoo dendari
Nice to meet you Brendan. Looking forward to carrying this conversation further in various venues. Are you on Twitter?
@dendari
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Hi again! You can reach me @Mrs_P_teaches on twitter!
Jabiz,
I feel like you know me already, but maybe this will be an exercise in seeing in being deliberate about what I share with others and what I don’t. I was attracted to this blog – and your others – for the fearlessness I see with every post. When you say you want to share in as many places and with as many people as you can, I believe that and I see it in your blogs, photos, tweets, etc.
I’m afraid I’m guilty of consuming all of this transparency and sharing without doing enough of it myself. Twitter has been revolutionary for me in that regard, because it allows me to do so in real time, though with the challenge of so few characters. To be honest, like most writers, I have piles and piles of posts and topics and things in my head and cluttering my desktop that never get written. I’ve tried to figure out why and I realize it’s because I fear letting those things go. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gained a firmer grip on my ideas and convictions and am not as scared about sharing them or delving into a debate, but for some reason the fear of putting my thoughts out for others to see – before I’ve decided they are “ready” – keeps me from ever letting them live.
These things will never be “ready” because of who I am. I admittedly share the dissonance I feel around certain issues – the things I “believe in,” but also have uncertainties about. At first I used to be afraid of this – that I had to stand on one side of an issue or another to be accepted and respected – but I realize now that ignoring the gray area is the true sign of cowardice and acknowledging it and embracing it takes guts. I’m so happy to be in this place because for many years the fear of seeming like I was waffling on certain issues I so clearly believed in kept me from ever making those beliefs public. And what good are they then? I don’t mean to get sanctimonious here, but I don’t get people that choose to keep their politics private and who don’t jump into debates unprotected to fight for what they believe. What’s the point of believing in anything if it just means you’ll go silently to a voting booth to make your choice? Yes, voting is important and I think the push to make Americans understand that is important, but so is thrusting your fist in the air and yelling for all who will listen.
I guess I’m using this comment box as more of a reflective space than a “tell me about you space” – and that last paragraph should have probably been a blog post, but it would have ended up on my dusty desktop if I hadn’t put it here. But here’s more about me that I think will help inform our interactions together:
I moved to The Netherlands this past summer from Virginia having never visited this country. I packed up my suitcases, jumped on the plane to be with my partner Thomas, and hoped for the best. And I’m not someone that has traveled the world. I only left the country for the first time (not even Canada or Mexico), in August of 2009…and I’ve never lived anywhere other than the city I was born and raised. After an intense break-up, I cut my hair and booked a ticket to Europe. I felt like I needed to get away – to try and be something different from my family. There’s nothing wrong with them, but my family has struggled. My mother fought and continues to fight to keep our family afloat amidst serious challenges that I won’t share here. My experience as a child on government assistance watching a mother work her ass off to try and hide that fact (Ramen noodles were a “surprise treat!” that my brother and I would cheer about when she pulled them out of the cabinet) has informed many of my choices and beliefs since then.
I was raised in evangelical Christian schools. My dad is super religious and wanted us to attend them. My mom is also Christian, but is more of a “I have to work, but God knows my heart” kind of person. I’m an atheist now, but back then I’m not sure what I was. I never fit into those places and often got in trouble for questioning basic things. We had to do an intense research project in 10th grade about a historical figure. Lots of people chose figures like Reagan and Martin Luther…I at first chose Joseph Goebbels, but was told I couldn’t do him, so I settled on Gandhi. My last two years of high school were spent in public school because my parents divorced and my mom decided if public school was good enough for millions of kids around the country, it was good enough for us. I was thankful. It was brutal to go from a school with 100 kids to one with 2,000 (and it was much more difficult for my brother who was in middle school), but it changed me for the better. I was able to question and debate without everyone turning and looking disapprovingly. At least in public school I could find some kindred spirits – people that shared my budding curiosity and rage. I still appreciate the Christian school for its focus on primary source documents and research – for believing that eight graders could read Canterbury Tales (though not the dirty ones…we were told not to turn to those pages) – and for allowing me to see a part of culture from the inside. I feel much more confident criticizing it from having experienced it so intimately.
College happened (though I failed my first few semesters miserably), with lots of things in those four years, but I eventually came out on the other side with a passion for journalism. I went on to become a business reporter, something I’d never considered. I really wanted to be a political correspondent, but got a job at a business journal and realized how I could apply my love of storytelling to this genre. But the industry was tanking rapidly and while I still have guilt about abandoning ship so early on, I feel like it’s what I had to do. I was unhappy there. I wanted to do something more challenging and more rewarding and teaching seemed to be that. When I started my licensure program, I wasn’t sure why I was doing it. Through those months I gained a passion for the cause (I believe education to be a cause for which we’re all fighting) and became hungry for learning more, telling others, surrounding myself with like-minded people. That’s about the time I started my teaching blog, though I’d been sharing in more personal, bloggy spaces before that. I still feel like a fraud sometimes for not having that romantic story about how “I always wanted to be a teacher and help kids!” but I try to ignore that (I have so many self-conscious feelings I fight to ignore). I’m happy where I am – in a new country getting ready to launch a new international school – though I even feel tinges of guilt about the students I left behind – the ones whose families could never afford such a school as the one I’m going to be teaching at. My first year of teaching was in schools one might call “at-risk” and it taught me a great deal. I thought I knew poverty and struggle in my own life, but not like some of these kids. My mom did a great job of hiding our situation – these kids are in situations that can’t be hidden. But again, I’m happy to be on this new trajectory in my career and so excited to meet students that I know are going to be so different from what I’m used to, yet in many ways the same. You can’t beat the curiosity and feistiness of 6th graders – a grade I thought I’d never want to teach, but that taught me so much last year. There’s a big chance I will be teaching all grades since it’s going to be a small school at the state and I’m excited to learn more about each age group.
See…that’s why I love teaching. It feeds my hunger to learn and know and understand new things all the time with the added bonus of changing the world through its future people. I take this so seriously that I’m often dumfounded when I run into other teachers who aren’t. I see what I’m doing as a teacher to be a social and political act and I never underestimate how important that is – how delicate of a experience it is for teacher and student and society.
Oh, and since becoming an immigrant I can no longer ignore xenophobia when I see it. The more I try to understand this fear of “the other” in people, the more I try to subvert it. We all carry with us privileges and disadvantages and the sooner we acknowledge them and how they make our experiences different from the experiences of others, the sooner I think we’ll get closer to the world peace idea that seems so cliche still. I think back to the times when I’ve said, “Well why is she complaining? I’ve done that and never had any problems” and I cringe. Every person’s experience is different and while it’s easy to paint with a wide brush, it doesn’t get us any closer to cultural understanding. Or any kind of understanding for that matter.
And you know I’m vegan. For me this isn’t just an animal welfare issue…it’s a human rights issue and an environmental one. I’m at a place where I believe our choices and what we deem acceptable to exploit are all interconnected. I’m always refining my beliefs and putting myself in situations to be debated because I feel like it helps me. I just want others to be conscious of their choices – to consider the source, the person, the animal, the family, that was sacrificed for their short-lived enjoyment. I’m not saying we all wear burlap sacks and make ourselves suffer, because I enjoy a can of Coca-Cola just as much as the next person, but I just want people to be aware. To acknowledge. To think before they make that decision, whatever it might be.
Wow…maybe that should have been an email. Or a blog post. Or a book. I hope it helps you understand where I’m coming from a little more. And this all comes with the caveat that it could change at any time. Thanks for pushing me to share, Jabiz.
I am speechless. How do I respond to that? A lot of what you said, I already knew through our conversations, but to see it all wrapped up with a pretty bow was great. There are some people online That I know I will meet. Many of them I already have. I say that because I am sure we will meet at some point in the near future.
We have too much in common not to. I mentioned the idea of the tribe earlier and I definitely feel that we are on a similar journey. As for the rest of it, I will not respond point by point. We have an entire life time to work through that. Though I will say, I loved this line:
It is very nice to have met you….see you on Twitter. BTW you still owe me a vegan pasta and ice cream recipe.
Dude, I hope we get to meet some day! I have lots of world traveling to do and Indonesia is just too beautiful to pass up. Maybe I can convince the Dutchman we need to vacation there one year.
I have to say this whole comment thread and just being pushed to share in a personal way got me jotting down things I’ve been meaning to write about for years. Thank you.
And thanks for the push about the recipes. I’m on it!
Wow! What a response. Before I get into the individual comments I want to say how appreciative I am, and how proud it makes me that people are so willing to open up and share on such a deep level here on my blog. That means a lot to me. Means that I just may have created a safe, constructive space for people to get to think deeply and get to know each others. Which has always been my goal.
Now onto your individual stories…
Jabiz, I think our friendship is predicated on mutual respect for the very real differences we have in some of our beliefs and the respect we have for each other’s journeys.
I suppose that one thing I haven’t shared before online but would be easy to deduce is that I find myself to be much more open with my thoughts online than in real person. You know more about me than anyone I work with face to face. I can say that some of that has to do with my social anxiety, but I really think it has more to do with the people I work with don’t talk about teaching and learning. Not since Joe McClung left have I had an actual conversation about pushing what we are doing in the classroom to make a difference with our students.
Right now I am feeling pretty disconnected from my PLN, from the other teachers in my building, and even from God. While most people find Spring to be a time of renewal and reawakening, I see it as a harbinger of what is worst about the US schools, the high stakes test. The focus on test prep and the need to score well brings out the worst in teachers, administration, and unfortunately in the students. There is simply too much pressure. Combine that with not knowing who my new principal will be next year though I am hearing rumors that don’t leave me hopeful.
For the first time I have actually had real thoughts about moving from my hometown. As you know it has been important for me to work where I grew up, giving back to the community I care so much for. I never considered moving before, but it has come into my thoughts more and more. Is it easier to stand the outside pressures if you are not as committed to the community?
Thanks for your reply . My twitter handle is vicit. Blog is. http://vicit1.wordpress.com/
This is interesting what you’ve started. My online course students post each week about there readings/learnings (their first post is about tbemselves) and it leads to some great interactive discussions. Very proud of them. Great learning happened from each other.
My school is not quite up to online community yet. But it is a vibrant learning community. I think i’m almost happy to go back tomorrow. As for me, I might not always say a lot but I am definitely on there, listening and learning.
Jabiz,
I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I was assigned to read through your post and leave a comment. I have to say of all of the blogs I have read this semester this one caught my attention. I am very new to so many aspects of technology. I just started blogging and tweeting, so there’s not much to be found about me online yet. I’m trying to work on that now though so don’t worry. I find your openness very different and interesting. It is such a great way to help people learn. I have to admit that I personally am not totally open to exposing a lot about me online, however once again I am working on that as well. Thanks for sharing your blog. You can reach me at my web page http://davismandyedm310.blogspot.com/
or on twitter @mandyelizabeth1
“Wait I lied! I also want to publish a few novels, record an album, tour the world and be a rock star of sorts. I want to run for public office in the States and climb a few mountains. I want to travel to every continent and learn to play the clarinet and ukulele.”
OK… so I want to publish a few novels too. Maybe win a Booker or Pulitzer…not aiming too high am I? I didn’t say Nobel! I’d like to act in one movie. A real significant role. In addition, I’d like to G]get on the stage again and act. I’m interested in changing India completely though politics or NGOs. Travel every continent is on my list as well.
Jabiz,
I am a college senior and almost done with my student teaching (and before you ask, no, I don’t go to the Univ. of South Alabama 🙂 Dr. Strange’s students seem to be everywhere!). I am a Middle Grades Edu. major and LOVE teaching this age group. They are just beginning to seriously question the world and their place in it and their angst and preteen drama ensure that I never ever have a boring day.
I started reading blogs about two years ago simply because I wanted to see how other people were teaching. One of the best parts of my undergrad program has been student teaching in five different classrooms and realizing how varied and unique teaching can be. I finally started blogging last November, which I like but need to be more consistent with. I often find myself writing blog posts in my head in the car or the grocery store and then forgetting to ever put them online. I must confess that I have never been on Twitter, which is surprising since I would consider myself a rather connected person. I think my lack of tweeting is mostly due to the fact that I go to a very Facebook-centered college and Twitter just hasn’t become the norm for many of us. It is something I am interesting in exploring, but I don’t really know where to start.
I love to read and travel and definitely want to teach abroad for at least a year. I student taught in Sweden last May and have dreamed of teaching internationally ever since. I have been considering joining the Peace Corps (which is something you know all about) but I am stuck teaching in GA for at least two years to pay back a scholarship so that is still something of a long-term possibility. For now I am just trying to find a job and wishing that sending out cover letters and resumes was more exciting.
Thanks for the invitation! I am a bit shy (as demonstrated by the fact that it took me days to post this) and have been wanting to post something here for a while but could never think of anything worth saying till now.
Great to meet you Lori? I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. I tried to link to your blog, but the link wasn’t working. I hope that we continue this conversation an find what else we have in common. Let me know if you have any questions about Peace Corps.
Just curious how you “found me” without Twitter. Hope that you give it a chance. It really is a powerful connector.
Oops, sorry about that! It should work now. And it’s Tori, though Lori is a nice name too.
I found you through John Spencer’s blog. You posted a comment I really liked (I can’t think of which one now) and that led me here. I learned about his blog about a year and a half ago by gooogling “middle school teaching blogs.”
I am definitely going to try Twitter soon. After all my finals are over in a couple weeks I will have time to play around and explore what it can do.
Jabiz,
I can’t really say that we are friends because I am pretty sure that you do not even follow me on twitter. But I thought I would take the risk and respond to this post because it has been rattling around in my mind for about two weeks, but also because I was moved by the response that @pickledtreats left.
I started reading your tweets because of the combination of teaching and music that are also important to me. Having thought about it for a while and weighing my desire to share against the feeling to cleanse my web presence of any risk I offer you this.
I love my family, my wife and my two children (a girl and a boy) with all of my heart. I love my job because I love to tell people that it is what I commit my life to. I teach in such a way that if one day when my children come across a former student they will be proud of what they hear. In truth I really want to make my family proud of me. I am trying to show them the world but I am going to start with the US (and Canada, we made it to Vancouver last year). We travel a lot lately and I love the way that it rewires people and the way that they see the world. I like to let them choose where we go.
I was raised outside of Chicago. Pretty much the typical existence in an affluent white suburb save for the fact that we had no money. I attended the rich school in the area which while difficult also afforded me an excellent education. Not that I accepted it willingly. Before high school started I watched as my father was injured in a bad chainsaw accident. Apart from the trauma of seeing it, it started a few of the hardest years of my life. My parents nearly divorced, but didn’t. We struggled to keep our home and make due. I watched my father work 3 jobs in order to make ends meet. I learned what love for your family meant. He struggled with his injury and managed to actually increase his income. When I would talk about it with him he just said. I do what we need. The idea rattle around endlessly in my head.
In high school I graduated in the 75 percentile of my graduating class despite the fact that I had for the entirety of my education been in gifted programs. I see now that this was likely a result of all that went on around me, but at the time I really didn’t know why.
After high school I had no plan other than that I wanted to be a teacher and no money, so I joined the military. Scholarship in hand I started college and something just clicked. Some combination of being in love and figuring out what I wanted to devote my life to, resulted in my graduating cum laude. I had my degree, a job teaching and a wife (who more than any other thing in my life has helped me to become successful.)
I taught in poor schools where I found that my experiences had value and where I learned that more than teaching being a job, teaching was a passion and who I am as a person. I was fortunate enough to be nominated for a teaching award for my efforts that despite the fact that I finished as a runner up changed the course of my life. The publicity it brought created job offers from several other places. One of them was from the school where I went and performed with such great mediocrity. The chance to return and make amends for my time there was too much to pass up.
One side effect of the move was that I had built into my life’s narrative the fact that I was an underpaid teacher fighting to offer the kids at his underfunded school a better life, but now the new school did not fit this new reality of my life. So I struggled. I really struggled with the fact that now I was paid well (Catholic guilt maybe?).
I think I have finally regained my momentum and found my new place. I look for those who like I did get lost in a high speed fast paced school of 3,000 and I do what I can to get them past their distractions, find who they are and make the most of their gifts.
This is pretty much what I have committed myself to. Then when I get home I play the guitar in hopes that one day I can use it to inspire people like I can with my lessons.
So there it is for what its worth. Thanks for giving it a read.
Shawn
Love this. Thanks Shawn. We have a lot in common. Sure we will hash that out in these spaces soon.