This month, I had the opportunity to apply for renewal of my MƒA Master Teacher fellowship. It has been a staggering twelve years(!) since I was awarded my first fellowship, and what has followed since has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Being an MƒA teacher has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional life. I hold it in high regard. It has allowed me to step into leadership roles that have defined (and redefined) who I am as a teacher. It has affirmed and validated me. It has made space for my ideas and offered me community when I had none. MƒA continually fills me with a sense of regeneration and growth.
More than anything else, however, MƒA has trusted me. In education, trust isn’t easy to find. The stakes are too high for teachers to be given the reins with no strings attached. There are so many changing faces and titles that being a teacher forces you to rebuild relationships often. Not with MƒA. Whether leading a PD, advocating for them on a podcast, or designing a summer conference, the folks at MƒA have never wavered in their belief in me. They continually make me feel like I am worth it.
I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t sometimes take generosity MƒA for granted. MƒA is an endless sea of resources, so it’s easy to take and take often. The debt I owe the organization is far too large to repay throughout my career, and remembering to give back can be tricky. With or without a renewal fellowship, I hope the organization feels I have contributed to the community during my tenure as a Master Teacher. For all I have gained, it’s the least I can do. ∞
lazy 0ch0 