Earlier this year, I read to great books, Chase the Lion by Mark Batterson and Dream Year by Ben Arment. Both of these books encourages the reader to dream big and do what they can to bring their dreams to life.
I reflected on both books, talked about them with others, and thought, well one of my dreams is connected to other people. I can work on it, but it “coming to life” is really dependent on others. I reflected more. Another dream is bringing needed resources into schools to work on all the mental health/drug problems we are facing daily. How do I get these dreams into fruition?
After a challenging day at work (I’m a special education teacher) it came to me! I knew I needed to do something that would help my students at a greater level. The idea of an EdCamp focused on Special Education became my focus. Could I do this? I sent out a random tweet and by the end of the day SpEdCamp Ohio had came to life.
I gathered a team. I secured a location. I started to get donations and sponsors. I started promoting. And promoting, and promoting. Since this was only the 2nd EdCamp in the nation that focused on Special Education I wasn’t sure what type of crowd we would draw. By June 12th, the day of SpEdCampOH 2017 we had 102 registrants!!!
June 12th was MAGICAL! I was so excited to see so many dedicated educators come together to talk about ALL students. We discussed co-teaching, mental health, legal aspects of special education, how administrators can assist teachers, data collecting and so much more. Our board was filled. Educators were sharing stories, experiences, and connecting with one another. My heart was full.
I went home that night, still on a high, and reread tweets and messages from friends and participants. I reflected, took notes and actually started planning for SpEdCamp 2018! This EdCamp served it’s purpose. It helped others grow. It brought people together, but more importantly, it gave us ideas of how to best serve our students in the fall.
That night I sent out a survey to the attendees for feedback. 99% of the feedback so far has been positive and encouraging. There was some feedback that came through that wasn’t constructive criticism/feedback. For some reason it was a personal attack. Although it bothered me, I thought about it, talked it over with a good friend and realized that this really was what I needed for my other dream!!!! As an educator looking to go into a leadership role, I need to develop a thick skin, process this, and move on. The overall outcome still shows that our EdCamp was a success.
As I sit here this morning, I still get tears in my eyes thinking “THAT REALLY HAPPENED!” I am excited to think about the future of SpEdCamp Ohio. Our first event has attendees excited to return to their schools and encourage their colleagues to join us in the future. I see topics growing, deeper conversations, and connections being established. Most importantly, I see students receiving the support that they need.
Dreams do come true. Dream big. Chase Lions!
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