Why a Phoenix?

So this is my first OFFICIAL blog post on my very own blog.  I thought I would explain the meaning of the blog title as my first post, so here you go.

There are many meanings and symbols surrounding the phoenix.  Here are the ones that resonated with me as an educator on a journey to become better.

 To most the Phoenix may represent a new beginning, that no matter how bad things may get you will rise out of the ashes.

I have had many “rebirths” as a teacher and all of them were hard at first.  One was moving from the school I grew up in to a much more progressive and “out of the box” thinking one.  To teach with freedom was scary because I had never had it.  I was waiting for someone to show me how they did it and it was very clear from the beginning that they were open to me trying new ideas.  It was the reason I moved schools in the first place. I felt like I could not breathe under all the restrictions and “scripted” programs at my old school yet this new freedom was frightening. BUT MY HOW AMAZING it was after the “fire” of adjusting!  I was excited about trying new things and my school supported me.  I was out of that box FINALLY after 13 years of trying to change a system that was still thinking like the 1950’s.  The other “rebirth” was joining Twitter. I will save that story for another time.

I think the educational system  needs a “rebirth.”

It’s time.  It’s time for the passionate, “on fire” educators to cry out and change their surroundings.  A phoenix is supposed to sing a beautiful song.  I find those who inspire me do the same thing with their blogs, tweets, and conversations. We need to rethink what we have been trained to do and start doing what we need to do for students.  Start looking for  fires from other educational phoenixes that have already gone through this process.  Read their tweets and their blogs. Check out the resources they share. GET PLUGGED IN and let’s burn off the old to make way for the new.

When you go through the process, you are still you but now you have the chance to grow.

The joy of this process is you still carry all the experience and knowledge from before but you can renew and grow again.  You can teach an old dog (or old bird) new tricks.  The phoenix is the same bird as before, just reborn.  I love the thought of being reborn as an educator with the knowledge and wisdom of 21 years of teaching.  Being an educator is exciting when you are constantly learning.

 On a personal side-note:

The phoenix is also a nod to Harry Potter which I LOVE.  I love that Fawkes (Dumbledore’s phoenix) was loyal and his tears could heal others.  I think sometimes our hardest moments which produce many tears can heal someone else going through the same thing.  Also, the early church used the phoenix as a symbol of Christ since the myth states that the phoenix rises out of the ashes three days after burning.  Being a follower of Christ, I like this symbol.

Disclaimer: There are many other meanings of the phoenix symbol that are not part of my belief system.