Taking the leap

Sharing your thoughts with others can be daunting at times. Starting this blog was not an easy task for me. I love writing, always have. And I have this great need to share what I learn, discover, find. But the idea of putting myself out there was a deterrent at times. What if people don't like what I write about? What if I make a mistake? What if the things I write about are considered too simple, worthless?

But good ol' Pinterest came to the rescue with one of Sir Ken Robinson's ground-shaking phrases: "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original" It is a statement he made in his famous TED talk "Do schools kill creativity?" (a MUST-see video, if you ask me)

  

There will always be someone who knows far more than you. And there will also be someone who does not. Isn't that why I chose teaching at the end of the day? To help others discover things they would not be able to on their own? To inspire them, to lighten a spark, to make a difference. And no differences can be made if you don't put yourself out there, if you don't become vulnerable.

And so all these what ifs started invading my head. What if what I thought had some truth to it? What if the lessons I had prepared were inspiring? What if my ideas were not as simple as I thought? And so I applied for a scholarship for a British Council Summer School. A few weeks later, I am staring at the screen, open-mouthed, having a hard time believing what I was looking at. I had been chosen, along with other 15 EFL teachers, to represent my city at their 2012 Summer School. Gobsmacked. I ended up meeting a committed group of professionals, who innovate, create, inspire in very adverse contexts sometimes. And I also learnt about myself. I discovered that I did have something to offer, I could help colleagues learn new things. Just as I had learnt from other teachers, other teachers could learn from me as well. And they did. 

Opening up, taking the leap paid off. I was asked by the BC to deliver a workshop for fellow EFL teachers in Buenos Aires. One, two, three workshops later I was on cloud nine. This was it. This is what I wanted to do. I must confess speaking in front of XX colleagues and teaching them how to incorporate technology in their classes is not easy. Some people have a knack for public speaking. I have a knack for public panicking.

But all's well that ends well. And it did. And what's best is that it has a kind of domino effect. The workshops led to two others of my own and tons of ideas for many more. Fear is an anchor that will not let you set sail and discover a whole new set of possibilities. So what are you waiting for? Take the leap, get connected, start your PLN, share whatever it is you know and learn, learn, learn.