Refuse to Fail

Growing up as an athlete, we all have quotes that motivate us, inspire us, and drive us to become the people we have set out to be.

"Refuse to Fail" - President George W. Bush, September 11th, 2001

Ever since high school, this has been my driving force. Being an undersized athlete on the baseball field, this mentality allowed me to persevere through some of the most difficult times as a student and athlete.  Injuries will not deter my goals.  Setbacks will not derail my desire.  Negativity will not negate the foundation that has been laid.

The same holds true in the everyday life that has evolved since athletics have ended.  I've never accepted failing a test, being denied admission to a program, or being left off of a roster, with any sense of complacency.  I believe that we are destined to strive for more, to refuse failure as the final option.

This afternoon, I received the letter in my email inbox that kept me out of the elite company as an Apple Distinguished Educator.  The competitor in me was upset at anything I could be upset at.  Did I do enough?  Was it worth all of the time spent?  Was it my application video?  Could I have done more?

ADE application - Final from john stevens on Vimeo.

Looking back on it, the competitor in me is still disappointed, and I don't think that there is anything wrong with feeling disappointment.  In fact, if you weren't disappointed after not getting something, maybe you didn't really want it.  Or work for it.  Having the ability to look at a scenario and look past the disappointment into the opportunity is what will separate the remorse from the rebound.  Looking forward, there is so much that this entire ADE process has done.

Applying to become an Apple Distinguished Educator didn't provide me with the current opportunities that I am experiencing, but it has granted me the motivation to strive for more from my students and more from myself.  Because of this, students in room 205 are doing more with technology and publishing more of their work than ever before.  I am putting myself out into the educational community and collaborating with amazing educators from around the world because it seems like I just needed that little push.

While there is no ADE added onto my name, there are a few great things coming up since the application process was opened:

• CUE 2013 Presenter in Palm Springs (twice!)
• CUE Rockstar on the USS Hornet
• CUE Rockstar in Lake Tahoe
• Podcasting with Jeff Herb and Jessica Pack
• Co-Founder and moderator of #CAedChat Sunday nights at 8:00 PST
• Published the first of 4 eBooks dedicated to the SAMR Scale

Turning this into a positive, my classroom is a better place because of this whole experience.  Now, off to work on my 2014-15 application.