I have to admit, I’m more like some of my students than I’d care to acknowledge—like a squirrel caught in the middle of the road, frozen under the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. My mind races in multiple directions at once, almost as if I’m tempting the universe to run me over. There are so many paths I want to take right now: launching a successful TPT store to share my creativity, starting a teacher blog to offer insights into the world of education, opening an Etsy shop for digital products, and diving into affiliate marketing.

Recently, I spent the day with a good friend, brainstorming and organizing these dreams into a concrete plan. Like all teachers, we tackled the challenge using charts, organizers, and color-coding—because what’s a master plan without a little structure? The grand finale of our day was the vision of a Pinterest site—a central hub to house all these ideas.  A one stop shop where I could bring together all of these ideas that I am interested in pursuing; a blog offering insights and thoughts about the daily life of being a teacher, a forum to share the resources that I have made, a place to house educational items that I feel are beneficial to the classroom and an area to share resources that I feel would benefit the fellow teaching community.

I challenge my middle school students to step outside their comfort zones, to venture into the unknown, and explore the possibilities of where the journey might take them. As teachers, we often encourage our students to take risks, try new things, and stretch beyond their comfort zone. But I think, as educators, we sometimes get so consumed with our own jobs that we forget to take our own advice. We forget to seek out opportunities for growth by embracing new adventures ourselves.

It’s easy to get caught in the routine of daily teaching responsibilities—lesson planning, grading, meetings, and supporting students—leaving little time or energy to focus on our own personal pursuits. Over time, the excitement of exploring new ideas and pushing ourselves can fade, replaced by the sheer weight of what needs to get done. But when we stop challenging ourselves, we lose the very spark that makes us effective teachers.

So, I’m taking my own advice. I’m stepping outside my comfort zone, embracing the unknown, and starting this new adventure. Whether it’s launching that Pinterest hub, sharing my products, or relaying information about teaching that others might find helpful, I’m ready to take the leap. The same passion I encourage my students to tap into is the one I’m reigniting in myself. It’s time to not just teach growth, but to live it.