inspired

today i begin my second year  of teach for america. {you can see more about it here and here}
after having an amazing summer off, i wasn't sure how ready i felt to go back to year 2 of TFA and year 2 of my masters program. all of that changed this week when i went to a conference and for all re-inspired!!! i may not have planned on teaching and i may not teach after my 2 years of teach for america are up, but for now i am so glad to be part of this movement. education really is such an important priority, now more than ever. i am excited to get back into the classroom and try my best to make a difference. the whole reason i applied to teach for america was because i felt like it was a tangible way to make an impact. after working in political offices and interning on capitol hill, i realized that i wasn't making a difference there in that big system. i realized i could do a much {harder} but better job of changing lives if i was actually working with students face to face, day in and day out. this job isn't easy, and i have 100000 times more respect and appreciation for my past teachers and all teachers everywhere after doing this for just one year so far. going back to this job isn't the easiest thing knowing what a challenge it is, but the hardest things are usually the most rewarding things. i believe in education, i believe in closing the achievement gap, and i believe every child deserves the best education possible...no matter where they are born. the world is changing, and we have to make sure our students are getting the best education to keep up with it. this video below shows the importance of education in our country today...it gave me chills!
i love how it says today in the 21st century, teachers must be:  innovators -- mentors -- entrepreneurs -- motivators -- illuminators --catalysts. i don't know if i can be all of these things, but i'm sure going to try! watch below:
i love that it says 21st century education is about: creativity -- cultural awareness -- problem solving -- innovation --civic engagement -- communication -- productivity -- collaboration -- accountability -- exploration -- initiative -- responsibility -- leadership -- creativity -- cultural awareness -- problem solving -- and making your classroom as dynamic as the world around us. wow! it's a tall order, and shows how high the stakes are in education right now.
chase and i are both so inspired in our work right now, and we feel fortunate about that. it's a lucky thing to be invested in your job, and both google and teach for america have missions we are passionate about. i know i already shared a video in this post and wrote a LOT, but trust me-- you will want to watch this video. if you don't have time right now, at least bookmark it to watch later. it is a Tedtalk with the simplest but most genius idea. you only have to watch until the 5 minute mark to get the idea. me whole attitude has changed about work after watching this simple presentation. nothing matters unless we have the "why!" {you'll know what i'm talking about after you watch}

here's to ideas. here's to hard work. here's to inspiration.

make a difference today!

xo