November 2018 - Rachel What If

Why having a mascot makes a “Big Impact”

What if Bigfoot is real? I know, I know. Stay with me here. For years I have used Bigfoot as a symbol of my philosophy on life: We don’t know everything. Thank goodness! How boring would life be if there was nothing left to discover? How awesome it is to be wrong sometimes. How fun it is to believe there is something mysterious to discover.

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I did my college exhibition on Bigfoot upon completion of my coursework to earn my degree in elementary education. I loved how symbolic and outside the norm this idea was. I dressed up in Sasquatch hunting gear and put together a slideshow (which didn’t work) to demonstrate how passionate some people can be about hunting for Bigfoot. I likened it to teaching in that I wanted to make a “big” impact on the lives of my students, and inspire them to do the same for others. I wanted them to feel a sense of adventure in my class, and to provide “evidence” of their learning along the way. Finally, I explained how scientist are still discovering thousands, yes, thousands, of new species each year!

Now, in my fourth year of teaching, having Bigfoot as a mascot in my classroom each year has provided just what I was hoping it would, and then some. My students feel that they belong to a group that is represented by a mysterious, maybe not so mythical, creature. It has helped create community, but also has inspired them to believe that there is still so much to discover in the world, and beyond. And, its fun. Learning is fun. I hope we all can remember or discover for the first time how fun it is to learn. This is why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place, because I am a learner. I need to learn in order to thrive.

I guess I hope that no one ever truly discovers a Bigfoot. How awful that would be to end this hunt. To conquer a mystery is exciting, but short lived. What if we just let it be and unsolved mystery? Its way more fun to ask questions than to answer them.

Strength

What if I reviewed my strengths everyday? Would that build my confidence? The beginning of a new school year brought yet another principal to our small rural school. This principal encouraged all of us to take a strengths finder test to reinforce the belief that leadership could include all of us if we knew and used each other’s strengths. Theoretically, this idea is fantastic! Unfortunately, the follow up hasn’t necessarily been there. Regardless, I loved the validation the test brought me.

Turns out, after answering lots of questions, I have exceptional strength in five areas: Responsibility, Empathy, Learner, Developer, and Connectedness. If I had to choose a favorite, it would have to be learner, closely followed by connectedness. I truly feel that problems only exist in my life because I haven’t yet learned how to overcome them. It is empowering to know that the answers are available. I also love to read because I can almost always apply what I read to my life in some way. Because I am able to find meaning in experience, or in what I read, I am also a connector.

everything is connected neon light signage — Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

So, what if I reviewed these strengths of mine on a daily basis? I wonder if my confidence would flourish. I have struggled to find my strengths over the last few years. It can be difficult to develop a balance with humility and courage. I value humility, but I also believe that I must have the confidence and courage to boldly go in the direction of my dreams. Just starting this blog represents a move toward confidence. I’m sure that humility and confidence can and should exist in the same person, but I struggle to understand what that looks and feels like.

What if my time actually is MY time?

“The trouble is, you think you have time.” Buddha

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I closely monitor how I spend my time, and yet I always feel as though I am running out. When I think about my dream life, I imagine myself with so much time that I can afford to do whatever I want! I could read all the books I want to read, write as much as I am inspired to write, build relationships with family members, and on and on. There is nothing I want more than time.

I had a realization on my way to work this morning. Although, I do work for someone else, what if the time I spend at work really could be my time? I have been resentful of how expensive my job is when it comes to time. It has always felt as though I am giving so much of my time while at work, not doing what I would do if it was my time to spend. But it actually is my time, and I am choosing to spend it in this way. I feel as though I am overdrawn and don’t know how I got here.

But, what if I could be more savvy with this time? What if I could meet my needs while also meeting the needs of my students and colleagues? Hmm… What does that look like? Is that ok? Can you go to work and still meet your own needs? Do people do that? What about teachers?

Still thinking about this one. Maybe I’ll come back to answer this when I have more time…

Is blogging the foundation for great storytelling?

What if the universe really is sending us hints or messages and we call it coincidence?

I decided to start a blog as a way to get ideas out in a digital way. Because, ya know, what if I decide to write a book someday? One of the very first steps was to create a name for the site. It is a lot of pressure to come up with a name that captures your personality, your blog content, your ideas, etc. Especially when all I was focused on was just setting up a blog and not really creating any content.

In order to avoid a road block to the daunting task of blogging, I started to think about what I could name the site. I had recently been to a professional development for teachers where the concept of “what if” came up. What if the problem presented to students could be changed in some small way after they had solved it? How would this change our perspective? How does this change the way we think? For some reason this stuck with me.

It hit me again while trying to think of a name for this site. The words “what if” actually do describe my personality and the way I constantly think. It keeps me creative and hopeful. I hate to think that there is only one way, or that the world really is what we think it is.

Back to this idea of coincidence. Today, I needed to search for some resources to help teach my 4th graders how to be good storytellers. I came across an excellent resource that I thought was only for math and science: Khan Academy. One of the courses they offer is led by Pixar story artists! (Is it weird I had just bought Salman Khan’s book The One World Schoolhouse? I’ve never even looked at his site before.)

Stick with me, it gets even better. The second or third lesson offered in the story telling course on Kahn Academy is called “What if…” Pixar uses what if statements as the foundation for great stories. Connection: What if this blog is the foundation for my great storytelling? I’m tearing up now just putting this all together. So to answer my what if question for today: I choose to believe that universe, God, greater good is mindful of me and guiding me to take action on my dreams. I’m excited for many more what ifs to come.

Here is a link to Khan Academy’s site:

Khan Academy Story Telling

What if this is a mental workout?

Ya know how you go to the gym and try all the machines, or run around the track, or go to a class and wonder, “Am I doing this right?”

Maybe you totally have it figured out, but most people are still looking for the “right” fitness plan that will help them feel stronger, look better, and boost their confidence. I speak from about 20 years of experience, teaching fitness classes, running hundreds of races, meditation practices, and of course eating the perfect balance of macros.

I will always do those things. They are critical to my success physically and mentally. I have recently discovered they are not enough. I am using this blog as a place to sort out the thousands of thoughts that run through my head every day. I am using it as a place to get a great workout developing a healthy writing habit.

If you are still reading this, I hope you will consider joining me on this mental fitness journey. I will share what is working, what is a really bad idea (but still worth sharing because it’s funny), and hopefully some content you could use to build your own mental stamina, strength, and overall feel goodness.

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