Rock Your School, Reimagined
For the past three years, Get Your Teach On has set out to create an event centered on transforming the educational experience of students around the world. Traditionally held in September to kickoff the school year right, Rock Your School has symbolized the opportunity to join your colleagues and school community in thinking outside-the-box. Given the challenges and difficulties the COVID-19 pandemic has created, Rock Your School was postponed in 2020. We’re here to tell you, however, that we are ready and eager to support you in reimagining Rock Your School, and celebrating in the ways that we can during the week of February 8th through 12th.
With almost all of our leadership team teaching throughout this pandemic, we know just how overwhelmed teachers are - both professionally and personally. We’ve had honest conversations about all that is on our plates and weighing on our hearts. We came to the conclusion that we needed Rock Your School, but without question, it would require reimagining. So we set out to reflect on just how we could ensure that Rock Your School 2021 is the best one yet - despite the circumstances we might find ourselves in.
Central to Rock Your School is creating outside-the-box learning experiences. This does not have to mean “over the top,” however! Thinking outside-the-box means being a problem solver, and harnessing your creativity to leapfrog barriers. In one way or another, every single teacher has been thinking outside-the-box since last March. We know that transferring that skill to create a joyful and inspiring experience for students (and you!) is what will ensure an amazing Rock Your School experience.
Whether you’re all virtual, all in-person, hybrid, or some other variation, Rock Your School Reimagined is for you. Rock Your School Reimagined is for everyone. Every age group, every locale, every model of teaching. It’s all about taking back time to celebrate your school community and what you’ve accomplished, making memories that motivate you and carry you through the rest of the school year!
We want to encourage you to participate in the ways that you can, that are meaningful to you and your students. Throughout the next few weeks we’ll be sharing the experiences of veteran Rock Your School participants, tips and tricks for planning and executing Rock Your School events this year, and more. We’ll support you in creating these memories with your school community so that this isn’t just another thing on your plate.
We hope you’ll join us for Rock Your School: The Rally on Saturday, January 16th at 10am EST on our Facebook page. This two-hour live event will provide you with mini-PD sessions, Q&As with our leadership panel, prizes, and much more! While you’re on FB - do NOT miss out on the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers in our Rock Your School FB group! Make sure and checkout the Rock Your School landing page, where you’ll find up-to-date information and access to resources like our Rock Your School toolkit, which we’ll blog about in the coming days. You can also expect to hear a lot about Rock Your School during our 8pm Instagram lives, and of course, right here on the blog!
While no one could’ve ever predicted what the last 10 months would hold, we do know that we are immensely proud of the entire teaching community and the way you’ve responded. Whether physically in school buildings or not, the educational process has never stopped; no. small. feat. We cannot wait to celebrate you, and your students during Rock Your School, Reimagined this February 8th through 12th!
A Note from the Editor: This will actually be my first-ever Rock Your School experience, so if you are a newbie - you are not alone! Over the next few weeks leading up to Rock Your School, Reimagined, I’ll be sharing insights into my own journey at the bottom of the blog posts. My first step? Getting my principal on-board. She was all for celebrating our school community for what we’ve been able to do in spite of our circumstances. She’s ready to celebrate, as am I! I cannot wait to experience this alongside all of you and make some magic for my students and colleagues!
