{"id":50,"date":"2018-07-05T18:51:32","date_gmt":"2018-07-05T22:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/?p=50"},"modified":"2018-10-07T22:31:28","modified_gmt":"2018-10-08T02:31:28","slug":"i-am-where-i-belong-finally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/2018\/07\/05\/i-am-where-i-belong-finally\/","title":{"rendered":"I am Where I Belong…FINALLY!"},"content":{"rendered":"

As numerous psychological studies have shown, it is not uncommon for educators to experience a sense of disillusionment at a point in their careers at which they reach a plateau. This feeling of disillusionment is a sign that something is missing, and that something is the drive towards constant progression \u2013 the very human impulse to be better, think better and live better. The key to overcoming this hurdle and becoming even better as a teacher, is lifelong learning. What is interesting is that the nature of that lifelong learning does not have to relate to one\u2019s job in order to produce positive results. For some, it\u2019s about learning a new language, for others it may be learning a new craft. Whatever the learning path may be, the end result is always the same \u2013 a renewed sense of purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

The axiom, \u201cpractice what you preach,\u201d comes to mind when it comes to the need for educators to embark on lifelong learning. The job of any educator is to educate learners through presenting material in an appropriate way but an important part of that process includes teaching through \u2018doing.\u2019 When educators themselves, demonstrate a willingness to learn, they play an active role in creating a culture of curiosity and a desire to keep learning, within their respective environments. According to Dr. Art Costa, \u201cTeachers who continue to learn throughout their professional careers display the humility of knowing that they don\u2019t know, which is the highest form of thinking they will ever learn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes this humility is viewed as a weakness by colleagues, causing me to feel like a misfit in a career to which I was called to serve. I spent most of my life battling the idea that being different is not a curse. I know now that misfits, we are rare and are here for a purpose \u2013 to share what we know and what we feel to the rest of the world and help them understand what we see.<\/span><\/p>\n

You see, we are misfits because we feel as if we are not understood. That the world doesn\u2019t get why we are the way we are. <\/span><\/p>\n

As misfits, we are on journey to find a home and feel acceptance. Since we don\u2019t just fit in anywhere, it takes a special kind of place for us to feel at home. For some that place is a person. Home is a person where you can share every part of your soul, the deepest darkest parts of it; and still feel safe, accepted, and of course understood. But home can also be a hobby, a group or club, or even a place that defines who you are. <\/span><\/p>\n

I needed my tribe \u2013 as they call it \u2013 my people. \u00a0 And who would have thought I would find \u201cmy people\u201d in Cullowhee, North Carolina.\u00a0 They are Kenan Fellows like myself. They are lifelong learners, enthusiastic about learning, collaborative, innovative, facilitators of learning! I am so happy that I found them because with them, I am no longer a misfit!<\/span><\/p>\n

Always remember, every misfit has a home they belong to.
\nAnd even in this big world, you are never alone.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Please meet this upcoming year’s Kenan Fellows…..below!<\/p>\n

2018 \u2013 2019 Kenan Fellows<\/span><\/strong>\"18-SummerPD-02\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As numerous psychological studies have shown, it is not uncommon for educators to experience a sense of disillusionment at a point in their careers at which they reach a plateau. This feeling of disillusionment is a sign that something is missing, and that something is the drive towards constant progression \u2013 the very human impulse … Continue reading I am Where I Belong…FINALLY!<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":543,"featured_media":53,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3],"class_list":["post-50","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-beginning","tag-18kfpd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/543"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94,"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50\/revisions\/94"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.kenanfellows.org\/2019-kcobb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}