 I am not a rockstar - I am an educator just like you!
It is an honor to be called a rockstar educator, it truly is. Here is the thing I don't believe I deserve it. What makes me any different from all the amazing educators working long hours with our students every day? What makes me more qualified for the title than the ABA teacher and paras down the hall from me that just got their student who is severely autistic to look people in the eyes when they talk to them? That is never going to show up in some standardized test score or in an evaluation, but it is an invaluable life skill that will help that child for the rest of their life. To me, that teacher and paras are the real rockstars but they will never get the recognition they deserve because they don't have as many Twitter followers as I do. What is the definition of a rock star educator? Is it Twitter followers, Blog posts written, Facebook followers, Books written, Awards won, podcasts appeared in, conferences spoken at? There are so many amazing educators out there who don't get that recognition, but that does not make them any better than me because I do. We teach our students that everyone is special in their own ways. We teach them that we should not compare ourselves to others, but when you call an educator a rockstar you are doing just that. I am lucky enough to know and be friends with, a lot of the rockstar educators and they really are no different than you. Next time you want to put a label on me call me a Teacher Librarian, or a 21st Century Educator. Or a work in progress, because that is what I am. Thank you for calling me a rockstar but I really think it is time to rethink the label. Thoughts? I would love to know yours.
1 Comment
@librarymediaman
2/3/2016 08:46:06 pm
My opinion may be biased here, but I believe all teacher-librarians (TL) are rockstars, or at the very least, unsung heroes, not unlike the paras & special ed teachers you mention. I think teachers wind up feeling self-conscious because they might not be as involved in the professional community as they'd like to, be it due to lack of time or whatever. It's just encouraging to see an example of an educator who pushes themselves and their peers to the highest level of excellence and gets them excited to teach & learn; thank you! Leave a Reply. |
AuthorElissa Malespina is the High School Librarian at Verona High School and a Presenter, Author and much more. The views are my own. Find my full resume above. 
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