I landed on Out of the Foxhole for a few reasons. I liked the idea of using my last name and kept coming back to the idea of a foxhole, which by definition is a defensive hiding place meant to protect you from an enemy. A lot of teachers tend to look at their classrooms like that, a foxhole where they can hide from people who might critize them or try to tell them a different way of doing things. Teachers are often fiercely defensive of their clasroom and students and feel they have to protect it. As a proponent of 21st century learning, I hope to inspire teachers to come out of their foxholes and be open to new ideas and ways of thinking about education. The idea of coming out of a foxhole can be pretty scary- it was for me. You never know exactly what's out there, who's going to try to shoot you down or who's going to support you. And it's something you can only find out by climbing out of the foxhole. It took multiple administators and fellow teachers to encourage me to do just that and I am so glad they did. I've taken my share of fire along the way, and I didn't always handle it with the most grace, but every step was worth it.
My hope is that through this blog, I can embolden teachers to take that step out of the foxhole and see what's out there. Education is rapidly changing and we need teachers to be bold and couragous. Also, that those of us already pushing the boundaries will reach out to other teachers who may need someone to encourage and inspire them. Otherwise, teachers will stay hunkered down in their foxholes and miss out on this incredibly exciting adventure of teaching.
Check back in frequently for stories and thoughts from Out of the Foxhole!
