May 6, 2025 – Change is OK

I am left wondering about blogging and portfolio in teacher education and in my practice. I maintain another WordPress site of which I have regularly blogged in since 2010. Originally, I wanted to practice my writing skills via blog with a “real audience” where there was some stakes in the game. I hired someone to create that website for me. I may have muddled around with it too much, and over time I had lost access to that account because of a “two-step authenticator” and buying a new phone. I got locked out of my account and could only access the account via my iPad which eventually experienced lots of limitations due to updates, etc. I had to eventually give up that website and concede to leaving my thoughts and whatever I wrote on that website as digital debris. I moved onto creating this website as part of my work in the teacher education program but also to return back to blogging to reflect on and think about my practice.

Now, I am no longer teaching EdTech or portfolio as courses within the teacher education program. How that evolved, I am not sure, but I was open to change and now here I am. Although I did include portfolio as part of another course as I took some time to grieve the change, I can see now that I don’t have to include portfolio as part of my coursework and move forward onto something new. This change reminds me of the IGNITE presentations. I did include them as part of my undergraduate course this year, which was great, but I let go of them as well in the teacher education program. So, I am left wondering, what’s next? I don’t have to maintain this website to serve an an exemplar to teacher candidates or graduate students of whom I supervised in EDUC 796 for a portfolio capstone.

One of the pieces of advice I give to teacher candidates is, follow the path that the doors open for you. Don’t try to force a direction you career. Have goals but be open to the opportunities that lie ahead of you. You don’t know what you don’t know. That’s how most of us navigated through our careers in K-12. And sometimes when you are to fixed on a goal or try to make something happen that’s not there, often it does not work in you favour. It only feels like an uphill climb and we can get disheartened by the journey. Boy, am I telling my story. However, once I let go and just went to the doors that were open to me, I am 100% happier and love what I am doing. I had no idea life could be this way. I am focused on what brings me joy and I have gratitude for the path I am on.

Of course, I did not anticipate this was the pedagogical journey I would take, nor was I prepared for the challenged I had to face, but change and being open to change has been integral to my success. Right now, I am reading a book about relationships, heartache, and letting go. This book about people but it could be about anything. I had no idea that letting go of practicum supervision, letting go of being the B.Ed. Coordinator, and letting go of portfolios would lead to more time to do what I love, teach courses that I love, and have the freedom to write and research during this spring/summer term without courses to teach. This is my first term not teaching any courses and I am wide open to doing research.

I never thought I would be here and feeling hopeful about what’s ahead. I can only do my best and do what’s best for me. I understand that now. A colleague and mentor of mine said that to me 2-years ago… be selfish. I never understood what that meant, but what it really means is, prioritize yourself. It’s taking me years to understand what I love, what makes me happy, and what I value. I am still learning and I am learning more about my value and what I bring to the table. I have nothing to lose. It’s just change. So, I am left with the conundrum of whether to continue with portfolios in one of my classes in teacher education, let it go, and if I should continue my weekly blog on this platform. Change is good.