This is day 22 of a 30 day New Year’s Resolution.
Mike and I were talking.
I’d sat down at his empty table to bang out day 21 of my New Year’s Resolution, and he struck up a conversation. After a few minutes of good shmoozing, I pulled out my card: Style For Dorks.
See, I’d meant to bring my magnetiCClassroom cards to Educon, but they didn’t arrive in time. Fortunately, I had my SFD cards.
Mike and I shared a good natured chuckle: what could be more polar than education and style? As it turns out, being a good educator and a sense of style have a lot in common.
Person vs. Persona
In order to survive in a classroom, and in order to be accessible, unbruised, and authentic, teachers (like anyone in a challenging, human-giving line of work) need a persona. Your persona is composed of the best parts of who you are, really – but only whatever is relevant to the classroom. It’s your best, most teacherly you.
Mike and I talked about how a sweatshirt and jeans may be comfortable, but it won’t put the glide in your stride that will get you feeling ready for a challenging day, or which will broadcast these essential messages to the students: I am put together. Our class time, too, is put together. I care about the small things, and I care about you.
“I care enough to wear a uniform of excellence.”
At Educon, I’ve met brave, brilliant, inspiring teachers. Many of them are quite dapper, and many are as brilliant with trailblazing as they are with a blazer.
We teachers confront our fears and insecurities about our own human limitations and about the vulnerabilities of the next generation, daily. We use 99% of our brains. We give all we have.
And many of us show how much we care about putting together a great learning experience by putting ourselves together in the morning.
Here’s to the dapper teachers of Educon, 2.7. #gallery-1427-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1427-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1427-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1427-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */