Voxer Update

I'm still...if not more...in love with Voxer than I was before.

I've started using Voxer for personal and professional uses.

Personal: It's much easier than texting.  I can talk into the "walkie talkie" piece instead of texting.  Which comes in handy when I want to have a brief conversation with my friend as we swap pregnancy stories full of tmi questions.  It's so much easier to share those awkward questions when you know your friend can hear the embarrassment in your voice or you don't have the word to explain what is happening.

It's also very handy for my friends with kids and in different time zones.  Messages can be shared, questions can be asked, and/or stories can be told when you think of it (because clearly that's important for me at the moment - because I can't remember anything past 2 minutes).  Then the Vox that was left can be listened to when the kids go to bed or the next morning and they can be responded to at everyone's convenience.  Often the responses are longer and more personal than the emoji we have time to text.

Professional: Now the professional benefits are really the same.  My partner teacher has kids so when it's bedtime and I have a question about tomorrow's lessons, I can Vox her and I know she'll get back to me as soon as she can.  Another colleague has high school athletes and she is often attending games.  She can't be on the phone during the games, but we can brain storm conference planning or tech night or compare notes on the days events with short voxes back and forth.  It's been an incredible tool when connecting with "strangers" who have become friends from a #TLAP chat who all had an interest in blogging.  We came together to challenge and support each other.  That started last summer and it's still going....but now we push each other in so much more than blogging.  We share ideas to use for conferences, in the classrooms, in extra curriculars, etc.  I'm also part of the #edumatch Voxer group.  This is an incredibly active group and I love listening to the light hearted and the intense conversations about education.  There are constantly questions about podcasts and content and more!  There's so much to gain from this group!!  My final group is the Catholic Ed Chatish group.  As a Catholic school teacher, it's a wonderful little group that shares my unique situation.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment here or reach out and Vox me!  

                     
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My People

One writes a daily blog and has honed her skills and figured out to share her message.  She sends flower emojis that make me smile.

One teaches science and just took a new job and was asked to help spearhead PD with technology. She sent me an Outer Banks sticker.

One has an incredibly powerful voice in blogging even though she just started and she is all about "embracing the freak outs".  She makes me laugh out loud when she "freaks out" because this is a summer of change for her.

One sits back and listens and offers advice support.  She welcomed me and my friends to her town with open arms!

One writes fantastic posts that you can identify with deep in your teacher heart.  Her #booksnaps make me smile from ear to ear.

One is still so new at blogging but she has a fantastic message to share when she does.  Her life is full and she loves to share it.

One is quiet and in the background.  She offers such praise and I see her often on Instagram with her family. She even came to see me at ISTE when I was presenting.

One shares often about her beautiful children and incredible husband.  She is so active in our group and on Twitter.  The way she speaks and encourages each person in our group is so up-lifting.

There are more...there are more.  And they are incredible.  They are amazing.  They are inspiring. Every single one of them.

They say that in teaching you NEED other teachers.  It is a profession of collaboration and empathy and support.  You don't always find the kind of teachers in your own building that you can identify with.  The kind of teachers that inspire you and push you and challenge you and get excited with you. If you're lucky (and I am) you have a handful of teachers in your building that are are those things for you.  However, what are the odds of finding a dozen or so teachers from all over the country that are those things?

We started out in a small group just looking for support and encouragement to share our voices. Now it has morphed into this group where we share advice for new jobs, we laugh until we cry at gifs, we brainstorm ideas for PD, we excitedly question about twitter chats and podcasts.  We are our people. We are our tribe.  We are friends.