Both David and Edward have written about this idea of the sense of the self and I have been so inspired to the extent that it even spawned this blog. I have had blogs in the past but these have
a) always been for personal use only;
b) abandoned after a few weeks.
I am not sure why. Time was and is a factor, but even from these few brief posts I have felt a sense of cleansing, so once again I am going to persevere.
I know Ed and David only from sharing an online presence via Manchester and our shared MA route. We have connected to a certain degree and that has shaped our interactions. I can tell you a fair bit about their online presence and the persona that is presented in that form.
Ed’s point about labels and connections rang so true.
What is brand Warters? Is teacher Martin different to colleague Martin – what about Director of Studies Martin or online Martin compared to Twitter Martin. Breaking this down more, how do the established teachers at the school see me compared to the new teachers?
What about the newly qualified CELTA graduate I interviewed this morning? What ideas about the DoS of the school did they have - did I match her expectations? Are these personas all different and in boxes like Action figures? What message am I presenting about what I want to be and who I want to be in this profession? So many self-reflection questions
After my IATEFL workshop, I was stopped in the coffee hall by a delegate who said that she had really enjoyed the session - I didn’t know what to say. I was silent and a bit aloof- nothing like presenter Martin. I think we both left that conversation feeling a bit cheated.
Ed’s point of Evolving as a professional is important to me, but I wonder at what cost this will come at.
Stopped me on the page. I have felt the cost of professional evolution in the past financially and emotionally. Thankfully I have a very understanding wife who supports me, but having to postpone holidays and spending a lot of money not to mention the time spent on reading, well, I feel lucky and ashamed all at the same time.
I feel Edward and David are asking vital questions and I encourage you to see their full blogs.
http://www.davedodgson.com/2011/06/i-dont-know-who-i-am-anymore-shared.html#comments
http://ara-bic-pen.blogspot.com/
Hi Martin,
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog via Twitter this morning. I think tweeting is the most powerful way to 'attract an audience' to your posts. Not that it's all about popularity of course but the sense of engaging in a community of practice and getting comments and feedback from around the world can lead to powerful moments of reflection and self-development.
When I first gave workshops, I also experienced something similar to you when approached by a participant afterwardsç Beyond 'thanks for coming' I didn't know what else to say... It reminded me a lot of my early days as a teacher in fact when I was unsure how to handle students out of class. In class, everything was planned and prepared but once the lesson was over, questions and comments could catch me by surprise. I soon got over that though and the same has been true with workshops. I connect a lot better with participants who have questionsd or comments afterwards. It also helps that we have Twitter and blogs to point them to as a way to continue the conversation afterwards.
So, what changed? Greater experience? More confidence? Better awareness? I feel we will keep asking and searching for the answers, developing as we do.
Thank you for your reply Dave. Great advice both on the twitter and the blog front. Completely agree with the post-lesson conversation, it took me ages to get the hang of it. Hang on - you want me to talk to you without any materials in a meaningful, transactional way? Erm... I wonder what Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury would make of that!Glad to hear that the post workshop vibe improves, I can see similarities with the early days of teaching. Thank you again. I can see the benefits of this blogging game already.
ReplyDeleteI wonder too about how far the blogger / online me is the real me, just less well expressed. I think I have to be different things to different people at different times, but there is definitely a core me that although morphs is there through all these instances.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time I felt my blog post about ID was too personal almost. I am not sure how much further into the personal I could go without not alienating my intended (professional)audience, or give too much away about me. This conflict is troubling and suggests that brand Ed is still reforming and is removed from Ed on the chair in front of the TV Ed. I note from your examples that you mention 'professional' Martin's and not football watching Martin's. I guess this distinction is what I am trying to manage.
I am also getting more familiar with the genre of writing. it seems that quoting others adding video, and so on, are things I need to be doing more of.
Thanks for the brain food, and for the response. It's nice.
Hi Ed. Thanks for the post - apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I had an MMR shot as part of my visa medical and it sent me a bit off the rails! All the fun of Rubella, but without the trouble of actually having to catch it. But I am back (ish) now and time to catch up on some posts. I like what you said about the attempt to marry the personal with the professional persona. The two are intertwined, and like you I worried about laying the soul out on this blog with the prospect of potential employers, fellow professionals, and students being able to see... I think I am still trying to find the balance and my own online voice for this . I think the key thing is, like you mention, is to have a core that is essentially you, and is unchanging or unwavering in principles. Saying that though, the best piece of advice my dad has ever given me was that you can't eat principles. Food for thought indeed:)
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