Yesterday I was able to attend the first truly meaningful educational PD in many years inspired by Mr. Rogers and held at my sister-in-law's wonderful school. The school itself is a masterpiece (and even that is an understatement.) I suppose I do wish that educators would be granted more of these opportunities for the sake of inspiration and wonder. However, I think back to when I was actually in a classroom (the past eight years) and I wonder sometimes if we are just too tired to wonder and that in itself makes my heart a bit sad. There were so many meaningful conversations and though I was not able to attend all sessions, I did feel truly warm listening to the stories of many educators who have pivoted in their journey or found themselves starting in one place only to find themselves down another path. Thinking about thinking and project zero metacognitive routines are some of my favorite and so I enjoyed a refresher session as well as the Wisdom Corrider with a renewed sense of hope through words and stories of our teachers and diverse texts. I think what stood out to me the most was the joy and passion inside the presenters. There was one librarian in particular who just made me smile. I think back to my first year of teaching and I smile thinking about the wonder I felt for a profession with so many unknowns. So how can we pocket that same energy and magic without losing it as we continue as educators? How can we create renewed magic as growing humans? I am not so naive to think that not every single educator is exuding this same joy and passion but imagine if we could place all of the most passionate educators inside one building-you just wonder what would happen don't you? But I suppose passion spread out around the world is the best way to go! 

Something that I enjoyed from one of the speakers is this idea that relationships are always at the forefront of what we do and arguably (in my opinion) are much more important than all of the standards we are asked to teach to. And now more than ever, with parents incredibly busy and the world moving at such a quick speed, our youth need that authentic relationship with a teacher. This idea of slowing down and truly thinking was such a great reflective point for me in terms of where my future why could best be practiced or how it could best be practiced which I have been toiling with for quite some time. But yesterday, I think arrived closer at an answer than I ever have before. All this to say, if you haven't stopped to see what is going on in the world and some of the AMAZING ideas that are being shared, please do so. By staying in your own classroom or your own bubble, you miss so much of what is happening outside your neighborhood. Look around. Be inspired. Realize that YOU don't always have all the answers and that's okay. Learning from those around you is what creates greatness. There are SO many amazing ideas floating around and ideas become stronger when they are shared! 

This is the first in a series of many daily blogs to come entitled "Outside the Neighborhood." Having lived in Pittsburgh for almost 32 years of my life, this will not be the case come the end of June. We will physically be living outside of the neighborhood, and I am determined to think about those moments of learning and wonder that will continue to add to my educator journey and passionate why moving forward. I do think that though Fred wanted to create his own beautiful neighborhood, he constantly looked outside the neighborhood from all angles in the larger microcosms of the world to seek insight, to speak to frustrations and challenges. Certainly a delicate balance. Fred Rogers said that, "What ultimately matters isn't how a person's inner life finally puts together the alphabet and numbers of his outer life. What really matters is whether he uses the alphabet for the declaration of a war or the description of a sunrise or his numbers for a new bridge." What will you do with the passion you have been given Outside the Neighborhood? Hopefully we will have 365 takeaways at the end of our year with even stronger relationships, love and close-neighborhood friends. Moments of change are scary of course. But I have a strong feeling in my heart that this year will bring the word journey into a whole new light. Thanks to Fred Camp for inspiring a new blog series and for getting my fingers to fly across the keys. It is such a good feeling to be ALIVE.