Cautionary Tale: Am I a Yes-Woman?

I had a conversation with a fellow teacher about the upcoming school year, and the topic of 'yes-men' was brought up. As I listened, I was painted a picture of a 'yes-man' at my friend's school: a young, energetic educator who never said no to an Administrator, always jumped on teams and initiatives with a positive attitude, and parroted the District line for new tech tools and strategies in the classroom. As I nodded and smiled in conspiratorial sympathy, acknowledging how annoying those people can be and scoffing at their expense, I had a heart-wrenching realization: holy crap, that is me!

Am I a yes-woman? Is this how veteran teachers see me? Is this how I want to be seen?

After reflecting in the hours that followed that conversation, I came up with an answer to those questions: YES. That is exactly who I want to be and how I want to be seen. I want to be the resource who people know they can come to with questions about setting up EDPuzzle, or getting started with the awesomeness that is Google Classroom, or presenting their first live Nearpod. I want to be the team player who will take the risk of

a new pilot, tool or strategy because I feel comfortable with change. I want to be the person who my Administrators know will support them in trying something new. I want to be all these things because I want to be a better teacher for my students.

So am I a 'yes-woman'? Heck yes, I am! Are you?

Emily

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