This week #slowchatpe is being taken over by @nicholasendlich.  Nick is the co-creator of #soyouthinkyoucanbalance and #soyouthinkyouarefit.  Mr. Endlich is also the co-creator of the National Lesson Plan Creator.  He will also be presenting Plickers at the #PEInstitute15 next month in North Carolina.  I now present to you:

EMBRACE THE SHAKE!

So 2 years ago I came across this TED Talk and was truly blown away!  I immediately shared it with our Art Teacher, for obvious reasons.  I was honestly moved by Phil’s ability to adapt, persevere, and reinvent himself.  We are so often overwhelmed by what we DON’T have that it paralyzes us from being and achieving greatness.

In this Talk, Phil describes his limitations as his ultimate liberation. So take a moment and think about all the “LIMITATIONS” you face as person, teacher, etc.  Limitations can be a variety of things such as physical; not enough equipment/supplies in your classroom, to personal; lack of organization, time management, etc.  Now how can you utilize those said limitations to create something new and amazing??

As I ponder my own limitations as a Physical Educator a laundry list begins to develop: not enough equipment, no budget to buy new equipment, not enough class time with students, too small of a classroom/gym space.  These name the ones at the TOP of my list.

One thing that I learned from the amazing educators on Voxer is that I’m not alone, I don’t have to do everything myself, and it’s okay to ask for help.  As an elementary physical education teacher for 10 years I’ve been on an island, by MYSELF!  3 years ago Twitter opened my mind to the possibilities of what I can do, but Voxer took those possibilities and made them happen.  Several of the things on my list above I can’t directly change, but others I can.  I have learned ways to STRETCH my equipment, make my own equipment, utilize my current space more efficiently, and gain valuable time for my students.

So a big THANK YOU goes out to my PLN, especially those on Voxer who push me everyday.  Sometimes our own limitations keep us from being the person or educator we wanted to be, but allowing ourselves to “embrace” these limitations can spark the creativity we need to truly become someone great!

We can find inspiration, creativity, and greatness in places we never dreamed of if we keep an open mind, continue to grow and share our greatness with the world!  If you can answer the following questions honestly, you will be able to “embrace the shake” and turn your limitations into something amazing!

Q1:  What limitations do you have professionally? #slowchatpe

Q2: What inspires you to be great? #slowchatpe

Q3: What is one “limitation” that you can act upon tomorrow to make a positive change? #slowchatpe

Q4: What roadblocks/hurdles do you have in your way to transform those limitations into something positive? #slowchatpe