my colleagues: one take-away from a writing retreat

A writing retreat from Brenda Power is a gift. I still have a hard time believing I'm the kind of person who gets to write and finds herself at a writing retreat.

Although the focus was on our writing habits, I'm learning something more about colleagues at the Choice Literacy Writing Retreat hosted by Brenda Power. Often times, in my little bubble of the "real" world, I feel like I'm radical. My views seem to push all of the wrong buttons and I begin to question if maybe I am half-crocked and playing in left field.

Then I sit in a room with this little group of writers and I realize I'm not radical. In fact, I'm a little behind the times. I need to read this, think about that, enter another network in order to be cutting edge.

I'm realizing I don't need to be bound by walls in defining colleagues. My colleagues can be people from around the globe. We aren't colleagues because we work in the same locale, but because we work together, in the business of empowering children to be learners, thinkers, creators, and innovators who will make the world a better place.

So I'm expanding my notion of colleague. And I'm remembering the business I'm in. It is not the business of raising test scores. Rather, it is the business of empowering people (whether they are 3 or 83) to make the world a better place. I love that I have colleagues, some I've never met in person, but we are in the same business and they help make me a better educator.

Here are the colleagues who were pushing my thinking, encouraging me as an educator, and nudging me to be a better writer. I'm very grateful for each of them.

I'm not the only one they push, encourage and nudge. Check them out online:

Brenda Power (@choiceliteracy)
Max Brand
Bill Bass (@billbass)
Katie DiCesare (@katiedicesare)
Shari Frost
Deb Gaby (@debgaby)
Franki Sibberson (@frankisibberson)
Katherine Sokowlski (@katsok)
Jen Vincent (@mentortexts)