This summer has been QUITE exciting. Not only did I get the opportunity to attend the KTI Star Summit; I have also been a successful matchmaker in at least one instance.  The energy I feel from recognizing potential connections between people is so invigorating that I am almost as twitterpated as they are. It’s a high. At the Summit, as I was telling people about this romance kindling, I realized I was getting that same “twitterpation high” throughout the week as we learned together.  

After #KTI2019, I am definitely “in a state of nervous excitement” because I see SO MANY connections being made.  Like taking a chance on a new love, many of the connections we made this week will put us on a new path, changing our lives forever.  This also explains why we could still function after the action-packed week of PD. The twitterpation gave us a high in two ways:

1. Finding our own match(es) - These professional connections are thrilling, whether we connect to other people or to new tools and ideas.  We can imagine their potential to make our lives better.
2. Matchmaking - The electrical energy we feel from being a matchmaker is even more powerful than finding matches for ourselves.  We share, we solve problems, and we help others make connections that could change their lives.  

Either way, it’s destiny.  We were brought together for a reason.  

After amazing collaborative experiences— whether a conference, summit, or a brief day of learning together, remember this feeling.  While our KTI Summit experience can never be exactly replicated, we will continue to be matchmakers. We will feel that nervous excitement as we take risks and continue to get to know new ideas and people.  Most importantly, we will have this twitterpated, electric high by matchmaking for those around us (with educational resources). It will bring out the best in all of us, and push us all to be better teachers for our students.  
People can be anxious about taking risks, so here are some things to remember as you help others find their educational matches.

• People struggle to see the positives about themselves.  Point out what makes them awesome. Describe how they can add value to each other’s strengths.
• Remind them that the risk of trying something new does NOT mean it is a “forever” commitment!  They can always call it a learning experience if it #FailsFabulously.
• Some are scared off by that twitterpated feeling— it’s good to have that nervous excitement.  It means you care.
• We are all attracted to different things.  Our matches should not be compared. Obviously we all have specific destinies, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help each other.
• Take it slow; take it fast; pace yourself.  Speed doesn’t matter. Read the situation and do whatever brings out the best in all parties.  It’s not a race to see who can use the most ed tech or who can gain the most Twitter followers.  

Moving forward, if you ever feel like your professional energy is fading, be a matchmaker.  Not only will you bring the electric back to your own career, but you will exponentially light up the entire profession. It’s the power of love… it can change the world.

Do you work with Barney Fife? I think we all do.

Good old Barney Fife… He was my favorite character from The Andy Griffith Show. He was passionate about everything, and tried so hard to impress everyone that he failed miserably every time. Barney followed protocol to the letter, but in the town of Mayberry, his overreactions caused more problems than they helped. Just because he knew everything about the law, did not make him the best law enforcement officer. I started to think about what it would be like to work with Barney. This thought led me to The Mayberry Continuum.

My role as a coach involves instructional technology, but the type of coaching is irrelevant in The Mayberry Continuum. This model's focus is on understanding learners, regardless of content. In Mayberry, a fishing trip with Andy would surely provide insight about all the characters. This analogy reflects my experiences as a coach so far.

The Fishing Trip in Mayberry
Barney, having never fished before in his life, showed up dressed from head to toe in fishing gear. After reading about fishing, he bought every piece of fishing equipment the sales clerk showed him, sure to catch all the fish in the stream.
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Gomer appeared without any gear-- not even a pole. He has been catching fish with his bare hands since he was a kid. His grandpa showed him that method, and it's the only way to fish, according to Gomer.

Opie brought his pole, a little tackle box with a few supplies, and a can of bait. His dad, Andy, was by his side, ready to teach him how to fish for the first time.

After a few hours of fishing, Barney grew frustrated because he did not catch one fish. He followed every procedure in his fishing manual. At one point, all of his gear threw him off balance and he fell into the stream. Other than that, he followed protocol to the letter. He had no idea why he was unsuccessful.

Gomer caught a few fish. He was soaked from being in the water all day, and fell asleep under a tree because he was so tired from all the hard work of catching fish with his bare hands. He woke up to a screaming Barney Fife who fell headfirst into the stream.

When Gomer pulled Barney out of the water, he made fun of the equipment Barney bought. He said, "That is why I never used a fishing pole, or any of that other new-fangled gear!" They both blamed the equipment for everything that went wrong that day. Barney later tried to fish with his bare hands like Gomer, but after a few minutes, they both had to just sit down and rest as Opie and Andy continued to fish.

Opie caught a dozen fish, and he still had energy to continue. Andy did most of the work when they got the first fish, but Opie caught the last six fish all by himself. Now Andy was only there to give advice as Opie needed it.
Gomer and Barney ignored them at first, but as they saw all the success Opie was having, they started to talk about it. Gomer took Barney's net and waders and headed up stream. Barney walked along a lot easier without those heavy waders, and he used some of Andy's tips as he put his pole in the water. Before they knew it, Barney and Gomer had both caught a few fish. Sure, Barney hit himself in the head with the fish a few times, but with each success came more confidence. They even asked Andy for a few more of his fishing secrets before they left, but Opie was the one to share them.

By the end, they were all successful at fishing. Individual fishing styles were respected, and they all had the tools needed to be the most effective. Those waders made Barney unsteady but were just what Gomer needed. Sure, there were some failures, but someone coached them along the way so they could learn, persevere, and thrive!

That is The Mayberry Continuum, and coaching Mayberry-style can bring out the best in everyone.

The Gomers - They have experience and wisdom that should be respected. The methods or tools that are new can sometimes insult the way they effectively taught in the past. These individuals should be shown how new tools and strategies complement their wisdom, but they should never feel like they need to leave their experience behind. In fact, they should be encouraged to share it!

The Barneys - They think they need to use every new tool or strategy every day, with all students, at all times. These people get overwhelmed easily. They may say, "One more thing we have to fit into our days!" These individuals benefit from discussions about their classroom needs. It helps to talk through which tools or strategies work best for different situations, so the focus is always on the learning.

The Opies - They are excited to try new things, and they ask for help when they need it. It is fun to work with these people because they love learning from others and have a balanced focus on content, pedagogy, and technology integration. Helping others and sharing will build confidence, so we should encourage that.

Sometimes Gomers and Barneys work surprisingly well together, as long as they can leave negative judgements behind. A coach can help people see the value in others so they feel comfortable working and learning together. Some people never want to ask for help, but they observe others trying new things. Just as Gomer and Barney learned fishing tips from Opie, people will learn from each other. Patience, coaching, and collaboration make all the difference. ​

Looking back, I notice these recurring themes in my blog posts:

• I love teaching.
• Student success is really important to me.
• I have admired teachers my whole life.
• Solving problems and helping others is extremely rewarding.

A New Role
I neglected this site for a while because I was lost…professionally.  The name of this blog is Teacher in the Mirror.  This year, I stepped out of the classroom.  How can I blog about my teaching experiences when I am not even in the classroom?  Looking back on this year, I now realize that I should have been blogging along the way.  No matter what my official role is in my district, I am a teacher, and I always will be. 
While I was lost in my world of education, this year's journey has led me to have a deeper understanding of who I am as a professional and how being effective can come in many forms.
The Journey
My district created a few Instructional Technology Coordinator (ITC) positions as a trial for the 2015-2016 school year, so I accepted one of them at the end of last year.  In June, I moved my personal belongings out of my classroom with a heavy heart.  What did I do? How could I leave, even for just a year?  In 11 years, I took very few sick days, and I had a really hard time imagining someone else in my room.  I shed many tears on that last day of school.  And of course, I worried all summer if I had made the wrong choice.
August came, and as I settled into my new building (grades 5-6) with new colleagues, I wondered if they thought, "Who does she think she is?"  Honestly, I thought that myself. Family, friends, colleagues, and past parents asked many questions like, "So you aren't teaching anymore? Did you get tired of teaching? How could you leave your classroom?  You loved it!"
Hearing that made me sad. I was not tired of teaching.  I still love it. I took the ITC opportunity to make a difference in the district.  But then again, what difference could I possibly make?  Little me.  I knew I had to prove to myself that my year away from my classroom was worth it.  Therefore, I made a vow to myself that I would stay true to who I am. I leave every day knowing I did the best I could to make a difference.
Pleasantly Surprised
I was scheduled to train teachers at our first in-service day in August, and I was a nervous wreck.  Teachers can spot a mediocre trainer after only a few minutes together, so I knew being successful would take extra preparation.  I also wanted to gain the respect of my new colleagues.  Teachers' time is valuable, so I tried to make every second meaningful and inspiring. 
All the preparation paid off. I realized quickly that teachers LOVE LEARNING, especially when they can see the direct positive impact it can have on students.  I overheard several teachers talking about ways they could use some of the things they learned.  The day was a success, and I was still a teacher!  Their eyes lit up when they learned new things, just like my third graders' did.
There was no more time for worry after that first day!  One year now seemed like only a short time to share everything!  It was down-to-business and crunch time from that day forward!
Amazed & Proud
The teachers are true professionals! When we collaborate, I am humbled.  They ask insightful questions that go beyond the technology.  Focus is on what students need to learn and how the environment can be arranged to make lessons most effective.  One teacher told me at the beginning of the year, "I'm not tech savvy.  I actually hate technology…. but maybe I could give that one thing a try… with your help."  That teacher went on to have a love-hate relationship with technology.  It was kind of hilarious.  She was one of the first to use the new laptop cart, even though it came with some frustrations.  She reads my technology newsletters thoroughly, and always finds something that she is ready to try.  In fact, that self-proclaimed non-tech-savvy teacher volunteered to be a presenter at our last Technology in-service day!  I was so proud of her!  Actually, half of my new colleagues stepped up to be presenters!  This is only year one of our big technology initiative; imagine what those teachers will do in the future.  Just imagine how their students will benefit! 
I have learned more than I ever thought I would so far this year!  I have also confirmed that:

• I still love teaching (and I AM still a teacher).
• Student success is really important to me.
• I admire teachers, especially my colleagues!
• Solving problems and helping others is extremely rewarding.

Because of this, I will continue to add posts to ​Teacher in the Mirror.  I look forward to sharing my experiences with everyone.  They are too good to keep to myself!