I could write about the incredible people I have met. I could write about how overwhelmed it is to be approached by people that love a project so much that they tell the whole world about it. I could write about the passion. The inspiration. The ideas that have surrounded me at this conference and in turn have humbled me beyond belief. But I won’t. Today is not the time, because today is about starting again.
I think we get so caught up in the perceived time periods of school that we forget that we are masters of our schedule. That we think that change can only come on perceived dates. That we try our new ideas only when the calendar beckons us to change. But the thing is with change; it can happen any time. It can happen anywhere, and anyone can change.
So as I walked the streets of Philadelphia last night and realized just how lucky I am to be a teacher, I realized that perhaps what we all need to do is simply to start again. That education is not broken but simply needs a new start. That we all need to get back into our classrooms and try that new idea, pick our pieces up, and put them together in a new way. That change doesn’t just happen but instead is something we pursue.
Starting again doesn’t require permission. It doesn’t require approval. It doesn’t require you to be extraordinary. It simply requires courage, a first step, and a little bit of perseverance. And that is something we all can find.
I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.
Pernille Ripp 
I totally agree Pernille. I always say the best thing about teaching is that we’re all human and the worst thing about teaching is that we’re all human. One of the things we learn as parents is that you can screw up one day and the next you can start over. This is true of teaching as well. I work hard to start over as many times as I need to throughout the year.