TL;DR:
- Teach Better bloggers belong to a community where they support each other and learn from each other during quarterly exclusive events just for bloggers! Read our reflection on our latest event and get a glimpse into our previous ones!
- We all have a story to tell. Every educator does things a little differently than others. The effective strategy or tip you have may help another improve their practice, find joy, or make an impact in someone else’s life.
- Find encouragement and inspiration to share your stories through blogging and to overcome imposter syndrome. Your story has great value.
Do you love feeling inspired? I do! Did you know that as a Teach Better guest blogger, you not only have an opportunity to have your voice amplified on our website but an opportunity to belong to a community too? We meet each quarter! Both Kari and I love our blogging family!
Many of us know each other through our words only by reading each other’s blog posts. I look forward to our time when we come together to make deeper connections, get to know each other, put a face to a name, and learn something new to help us be a little better than we were yesterday. The purpose is to build better relationships and to offer an element of training to help us improve as bloggers.
On January 11th, it was our 7th time we met with our beloved guest bloggers for our Exclusive Blogger event. At the end of every meeting, I always feel invigorated and inspired by the conversation. This was no different! Even though we provide the training, the opportunities to support and learn from each other make each event special and brings me great joy.
Everyone has something to offer. Something you do in your classroom, big or small, might be the spark someone needs to turn their mindset—or even their career—around. Click To TweetHere are some topics from previous events:
- Community Building
- Soapbox Topics
- Creative Blog Titles
- How to Improve Readability
- Finding Your Voice
- Marketing Your Work
Imposter Syndrome
This time, we shared our inspirations. What inspires you to write? Our conversation led us to sharing about our confidence as bloggers and a phrase that many of us know well: imposter syndrome.
Here’s what I learned after being a blogger for almost three years. It takes time to build confidence. The first time I published a blog post, I felt fear. Real fear. It took me a couple of days before I mustered enough courage to hit the publish button on my personal website. What will people think of my ideas? Will what I share resonate?
The more I blogged, the more I realized that I write for me first. As I reflect on my learning and experiences and dive further into thoughts and ideas, I make more sense of my world and emerge a more enlightened, better person. The belief that I am just sharing my story gives me greater courage and releases me from worries and the pressure of what others may think.
During this event, here were some things I heard that were affirmations of my beliefs and furthered my thinking:
- It’s common to feel imposter syndrome and a lack of confidence when publicly sharing our writing.
- You don’t have to know everything, but it is helpful to others to share what you do know.
- It’s the little things we do every day that may make someone else make a change in their daily practice or have an impact in their lives and the lives of the children they teach. It has the power to be transformative and even change a life’s trajectory.
- It is selfish not to share. (courtesy of Tre Gammage)
- I am the person I am today because of everyone I have learned from. We collectively make each other better by sharing our thoughts, ideas, and experiences.
Just start! We’re here to support you!
My hope is that this post will encourage, inspire, and persuade you to start writing. Come join our wonderful community of Teach Better bloggers! Join in the connection, conversation, and contribution to this community at our Exclusive Bloggers Events and in our Voxer group! Miss an event or want to view previous events? They are all recorded for easy access in the Teach Better Academy for our guest bloggers!
You have a story—one that is worth sharing. Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone. Share one thing that works well in your class or school. Inspire others with one thing that brings you joy. Share one thing that makes an impact in your life. Your ideas spark other ideas and inspires betterment, which is the Teach Better way!
Don’t know where to start? Need help or strategies to get started on writing? Kari and I created a self-paced course in the Teach Better Academy called Writing Strategies & Marketing Your Work.
[scroll down to keep reading]
Kari’s Reflection
Similar to Livia’s reflection, I had real, true fear about contributing a blog of my own to Teach Better the first time.
When I was in college, I started a personal blog in which I shared reflections on life, love, and personal growth. So I was no stranger to sharing my writing with others. When I joined the Teach Better community, what I lacked was the confidence that I had something to share with others in a profession I had spent less than 10 years in.
Knowing what I know now, I realize that it doesn’t matter if you are a student teacher or are in your final year before retirement. Everyone has something to offer. Something you do in your classroom, big or small, might be the spark someone needs to turn their mindset—or even their career—around.
Despite having contributed a number of posts of my own to the Teach Better site over the years, I still have moments of doubt. Moments of fear. Our last Guest Blogger Exclusive Event rejuvenated me in a way I didn’t know was possible. During the event around 7:50pm, I shared out loud to our guests something along the lines of: “I thought the “me” at 7pm was inspired, but that person knew nothing.” In a short 50 minute timeframe before we started to wrap up the event, my confidence in feeling that I have something to offer had doubled. The group reminded each other that we ALL have something to contribute; you just need to look inward to figure out what it is you want to share at any given moment.
Click here to fill out an interest form or connect with us at [email protected] or [email protected] and we will be thrilled to get you started on a fulfilling writing journey!
About Livia Chan
Livia Chan is a Head Teacher, author, presenter, and a member of the Teach Better Team. She is deeply passionate about writing, the gift of relationships, learning, and leading with heart. Livia believes that in every atomic interaction, we have the opportunity to intentionally uplift others through our love, kindness, and gratitude. We can make an impact in their lives and imprint on their hearts. She would love to connect with you on Twitter at @LiviaChanL or at livchan.com.
Her motto is “Working together to better ourselves, each other, and the world around us.”
About Kari Pitstick
Kari Pitstick is a 7th grade English Language Arts teacher and track & field coach in Illinois. She’s also the Director of Digital Content for the Teach Better Team. She graduated from Illinois State University in 2015 with a bachelor’s in Middle Level Education, and American College of Education in 2018 with a master’s in Curriculum & Instruction.
She knew she wanted to teach at the middle level since she was in middle school herself. One of her main missions is to provide a safe and friendly environment for students to explore their passions as learners and as people.
Kari is an avid reader, spending most of her free time reading and writing, and she hopes to share that passion with all those around her—students and adults, alike!
