My Lottery Ticket: The Most Important Thing I Learned This Year

Image by Robert S. Donovan

As another calendar year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on all the things I've learned and experiences I've had. Of all the things I've learned, the most important has been this: great risk can lead to great reward. I once heard a saying during a English soccer, "You can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket." This year has been a year of really great relationships. I've been lucky that some wonderful people have come into my life. I took a chance, put myself out there and connected with some amazing people: I continually get amazing advice, support and encouragement from Shelly Terrell; Sean Junkins' tweets leave me laughing so hard that it hurts; Kelly Croy's blog posts challenge and stretch me; Steven Anderson daily reminds me to be great; I discover great tools and technology integration ideas from Karen Blumberg;  I'm inspired by Mary Beth Hertz's creativity, classroom innovation and reflective practice; Cory Plough continually changes the way I view online learning; and Ken Shelton's photography takes my breath away and makes me want to grab my camera and capture the world around me through still images. These relationships, whether from far way or face to face, have taught me what authentic and selfless leadership looks like. I've been reminded this year of the importance of relationships; we are not meant to learn, live or grow alone.

All the great people that I've met and everything they've added to my life and my learning has been as wonderful as winning the lottery :-D

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Why I Write

In honor of the National Day on Writing, I answered the question "Why do you write?"

Reflection - Whether it's in my blog, a paper for a class or jotting down thoughts in a journal, writing allows to me to quiet down the fast-paced world around me and connect with the thoughts in my head. It allows me to process things that I've learned from a conversation I've had, a session I attended or a quote that got me thinking. 

Channel creativity - When I put pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard) magic happens. When I start writing, things like grammar and spelling fades away and it's my ideas, my vision, my passion that drives my work. Some times I find myself telling stories I didn't know I had inside me. Writing also gives me room to flesh out ideas that were whirling around in my brain awakening new ideas. 


Find my voice -The art of writing involves writing from your own unique perspective, in your own words and in your own style. Every writer has a voice. When I write, I tap into that voice and I give it room to mature and develop. More importantly, the more I read what I've written, the more distinct my voice becomes to me. 


To become a better writer - I believe the old adage that practice makes perfect. The more I write the better I get at writing. The more I write, the more I challenge myself to dig deeper or take a different avenue or paint a stronger picture.


Reflecting on my own reasons for writing reminds me of how important it is for my students to have opportunities to write. I hope my own practice will set an example for them and pass on my love of writing.

Why do YOU write?