#youredustory Week 4 prompt: What is the best thing you do in your classroom/school/district/job?
I struggled with writing this last week. There were so many other things on my mind and I couldn’t narrow my focus. I love my job as the eLearning Specialist & School Library Liaison. It is certainly not a classroom teacher role. In fact, sometimes I can’t even tell you what it all is.
Last week, NDE employees were invited to an open meeting to discuss “projects, people, processes”, as part of some work that the Commissioner is doing after reading Ken Miller’s The Extreme Government Makeover. Those that attended, worked in small groups to list the responsibilities of our specific roles and the barriers we face. Our responsibilities varied, but our barriers were all pretty much the same. When it was my turn to talk about my responsibilities, the one word that kept coming up was relationships. I don’t “do” relationships, per se. But developing relationships has been my greatest priority and responsibility.
Relationships play a vital role in my job. They have allowed me to work with almost every team at the department in some capacity. They have allowed me to take part in conversations with key stakeholders across the state. They have allowed me to participate in dozens of trainings, workshops, and in-services at the educational service unit (ESU), post-secondary, and school district levels. They have provided me the ability to still get into the classroom when I just need to be around kids again. They have led me to where I am. These relationships have helped me develop this role into something that didn’t even exist 20 months ago.
My relationships have challenged me. Allowed me to take risks. Encouraged me. Allowed me to be a voice. Helped me see my potential. And do it all for Nebraska educators and students.
How are you developing relationships? With your students? With your colleagues? Beyond your school? I challenge you to look at the relationships in your professional and personal life. What do you see?
An AZ and NE girl living in a DC world. 