Transcript
Speaker: Hello and welcome to the Outdoorsy Educator Podcast. This week we're doing something different. The guest on this week's episode is me.
Speaker: i wanted to share with you a special event that happened back at the beginning of February this year and has just been released. I was fortunate enough to be invited to present on the TEDx stage at Texas Women's University.
Speaker: I was invited to speak about the topic of resilience and how that relates to the world of education. Speaking on stage is something I have done before but this was a completely different experience, having to stand in front of an audience of over a hundred people with no notes, knowing that whatever happened it was going to be put on YouTube for the world to see.
Speaker: Before I tell you a little bit more about the experience, here is a short clip from the TED Talk. First stop was going to my local community college. So that next morning, I drove down to meet an advisor and I completely froze.
Speaker: I sat in the parking lot and catastrophized. What if I don't have the grit? What if I don't have the resilience? What if, what if, what if? But just as I was about to leave, I thought, what if it actually all goes okay?
Speaker: What if everything turns out the way I hope it will? Now, due to TEDx's ownership and licensing laws regarding their talks, I can only play a short clip on this podcast from the TED Talk. However, the whole video will be linked in the show notes as well as on our social media at The Outdoorsy Educator on Facebook and Instagram.
Speaker: It's also on my website, theoutdoorsyeducator.com.
Speaker: The experience of presenting on the TEDx stage was unique and something I had not experienced before and with hindsight it was truly wonderful from start to finish. We were assigned a coach to help us look through the mechanics, where do we stand, how long do we have to speak and she was truly wonderful.
Speaker: And my coach happens to be a previous guest on this podcast, Annie Munson. And she took me from a place of fear and apprehension to one of confidence and feeling like I truly had a place on the stage. I'm so thankful to her for all she did for me, helping getting me prepared.
Speaker: I focused my talk around three separate issues. The first was my journey into higher education. I talk about my journey from leaving college at age 18 to unloading trucks for a living to not letting him go of that dream I always had of being a public educator and how getting my degree was a long journey and how I kept going back to college again and then again.
Speaker: to finally end up with my PhD in Educational Leadership and being an Assistant Professor at Texas Women's University. But perhaps more importantly, I spoke about a child called Stephen. Stephen is one of those kids that I will simply never forget.
Speaker: He taught me more about resilience than any professor or any colleague ever has. He showed a level of grit that I carry with me to this day, and I lean on that memory when I face tough times.
Speaker: And I also spoke about taking that lesson and how I apply it in my day-to-day life now, working with pre-service teachers, students who have so much going on in their life.
Speaker: They're often parents, spouses, they're often working at least one full-time job while trying to complete their education and they will face hurdles. They do face hurdles and I remind myself of Stephen's story and my own story and think how can I best support them.
Speaker: So this week, the audio podcast will be very short, but I hope you will go to YouTube, look at the video and let me know what you think. Why don't you share your story of resilience with me?
Speaker: And if it resonates with you and you'd like to be on this podcast, please certainly reach out. Again, I'll put the link in the show notes to the video, but it's also on theoutdoorsyeducator.com and on my Instagram and Facebook pages, The Outdoorsy Educator.
Speaker: Thank you so much for tuning into this very short episode. Please watch the video if you can and thank you so much for helping being part of this wonderful community.
