3 Things You Should Not Forget Now That You're A Celebriteacher

Before I move on to my second point...first let me preface my post by stating the following:

The need to write this 3 part series, 3 Things You Shouldn't Forget Now That You're a Celebriteacher, stems from a place of frustration, not jealousy. I KNOW, someone read the first installment of this series and thought... this hooker seems #peanutbutterandjealous. Umm...no. You know what "they" say about jealousy,

"People only RAIN on your PARADE when they're jealous of your SUN and tired of their SHADE" 

Trust. No SHADE here. I am the Grand Marshal of my OWN parade. My need to write this series emerged from frustration. Many of us possess scads of talent and creative ideas. But, unless you ARE or roll with the celebriteachers aka the "big dawgs," the valuable knowledge you wish to impart falls on deaf ears. Unfortunately for the novice teacherpreneurs (like myself), the "big dawgs" run the show and the masses tend to flock to these celebriteacher's show.

Let me put it this way. The celebriteachers are the main act and we are the opening act. No, we are the opening act for the opening act. LOL. We are the Meek Mill to their Drake. The Michelle to their Beyonce. HaHa. (Calm down...I am joking). But, you know I am preaching the truth. #realtalk Let me clear one thing up before I move on. I will never be any one's Michelle to their Beyonce. I AM THE Beyonce.#BOOM And to succeed, you need to have a winner's mentality! Be the Beyonce. Be yourself! Be whoever you want to be. 

So, on to my second point.

2. "You Got By With A Little Help From Your Friends" 
You may be successful, BUT...

 I am more than sure someone helped you along the way. Now, you have the opportunity to pay it forward and assist others up the ladder of success by mentoring them and teaching them what you learned on your teacherpreneurial journey.  

On occasion, I put myself out there and ask celebriteachers questions ranging from TPT product advice to classroom tips. Many respond and provide assistance, but a few shunned a question or two.  I understand life gets in the way and time may not permit a social media Q&A session. Instead of ignoring teacher's inquiries, choose a social media platform and take the time to motivate, empower, and/or inspire. If you find many teachers asking the same question, reach the masses on Periscope or with a blog post. Your response may be the catalyst needed to ignite a budding teacherpreneur's journey.

You may be asking, "Who are you to tell a celebriteacher what to do?" Oh, just a teacher who has received a cold-shoulder or two.  Case in point, on Instagram a few months ago, a teacher posted an amazing opportunity experienced by her campus. I along with at least 20 other teachers asked the celebriteacher how she earned the opportunity for this once in a lifetime event she posted.  She never answered. I checked back days later, no answer. Since 20+ teachers asked, I didn't take the comment neglect personally. Instead of being irked and waiting for a response, I investigated the matter myself and obtained the information I needed. 

I said it before and I will say it again, you may be successful, BUT... Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. I sound bitter, but again let me reiterate. This post comes from a place of frustration (sometimes failure), not resentment. I recognize the struggle and realize you have worked hard for your rightfully earned success; however, it bothers me when celebriteachers look down on others and ignore opportunities to mentor or pay it forward, which brings me to my last point...

3. Stay Humble
Read about my next point in the last installment of my three-part series, Three Things You Shouldn't Forget Now that You're a Celebriteacher. 

As always make the ordinary... EXTRAORDINARY!

3 Things You Shouldn't Forget Now That You're A Celebriteacher

Time to keep it real. I wrote the following update on my Facebook page today:

"I'm impatient with my teacherpreneurial journey. I am watching many teachers on Blab and Periscope with the same goals as myself and some have reached Celebriteacher status.

Everyone's teacherpreneurial journey is different and today I gained some insight that can be applied to my struggle. 

1.  I don't have to HOPE everyone likes me. You either do or you don't. And truth be told, Blab and Periscope feel like high school... (Be honest.)
2. I don't have to HOPE that someone gives me a break. I am not going to brown-nose or d-ride to catch a break.

I'm going to get my HOPES up instead of HOPING on others.

After I posted, I received a few comments about teachers who felt the same way. I wish more teachers kept it "real" and spoke their minds. But most probably do not for fear of alienation or retaliation. Me, on the other hand, I proudly wear my "Scarlet T." 

Three Things You Shouldn't Forget 

Now That You're A Celebriteacher

1. "Started from the bottom now were here"

To quote the immortal words of Drake, "Started from the bottom now we're here..." You should never forget you once started from the bottom. And from the bottom...a struggle ensued as you clawed your way to the top of the mountain to...SUCCESS. 

Despite your hoards of followers gained, awards garnered, or the many nations inspired by your teachepreneurial genius, don't forget...you once struggled too.

And the struggle for some of us...is real. For me, the long, arduous road to "success" has been/is paved with few victories & many obstacles. Success eludes me, but I refuse to give up. My failures only serve as motivation to keep hustling. Like my friend, Aunties Sweet Life says, "Hugs to the hustlers who get sh*t done." And everyday, I wake up and ask myself, "What sh*t needs to get done today...to get me closer to completing my goals?" 

Celebriteachers, unless you started from the top, YOU stood in our shoes and experienced the struggle of the "climb" and you know what it takes to get sh*t done. And with that being said,

 "Don't forget where you come from." 

Be honest, how many of us have achieved success in other areas of our life, and "forgot where we came from?" Perfect example. When I lost my 57 lbs., I also lost my mind and forgot that I once struggled to complete tasks as simple as walking up a flight of stairs and buckling my shoe.  After a few reality checks, I reminded myself of my battle to lose the bulge. After reminding myself, I in turn began helping others in need of weight loss inspiration. 

Saying all that to say...

"Don't forget where you come from." 

My weight loss example, me turning my success into an opportunity to help others, is the perfect segway (segue, for the grammar police) to my next point.

2. "You Got By With A Little Help From Your Friends" 
Read more about my next point in part two of my three-part series, Three Things You Shouldn't Forget Now That You're a Celebriteacher.

As always, make the ordinary...EXTRAORDINARY!

What Periscope viewers want you to know...

PeriWHAT?

If you read the title and said, "PeriWHAT," you've either just returned from vacation on another planet OR you've been cut off from civilization. For those not familiar, the Periscope phenomenon exploded onto the scene during the TPT Vegas conference and teachers embraced the new technology with open arms. 

So, What is Periscope?

Periscope allows users to live stream from smartphones anywhere at anytime. So, what's the big deal you ask? Basically, Periscope changed the face of professional development. In other words, thanks to educational Periscope broadcasters from across the globe, you can receive professional development in the comfort of your own home, sporting yoga pants and no bra, while sipping a bottle glass of wine and eating peanut butter from the jar. Sounds like a plan! Sign me up!

My Decent Into Periscope Madness

For the past three days Periscope mesmerized me to the point of forming an addiction and needing an intervention. Every time the birdies chirped, I dropped everything and watched.

BUT then...the novelty wore off. I finally hit rock bottom. My scope binge watching took its toll in the form of me neglecting life. Although Periscope holds many beneficial qualities, today I ended the madness. I silenced my Periscope notifications and reminded myself of the old adage, "Everything in moderation." 

Upon reclaiming my life back, I contacted a few colleagues to inquire if they plunged into the Periscope vortex as well. During our discussion of Periscope's pros and cons, we arrived at several of the same conclusions. And those conclusions included reasons why viewers abandon broadcasters, mid-broadcast. 

3 REASONS Viewers ABANDON Broadcasts 

3. Broadcasting Long-Winded Lengthy Scopes

Quality, not quantity. Some subject matter requires discussion at length. However, if you choose to take the verbose route, viewers expect quality content pertaining to the title you provided to lure us in. If the title stated, "Transition Ideas," then one should not expect to be taken on a tour of your laundry room. That may seem like a far-fetched example, but believe me when I say write, it happens. 

Quick Tip: Unsure of when to pull the plug on a broadcast...look for the Peribuddy on the bottom, right-hand side of your smartphone for your viewers count. If your interaction or viewership starts sinking like the Titanic, jump ship. 

Do you remember the "wrap it up" music played at the Oscars when acceptance speeches run too long? Perhaps Periscope should add a "wrap it up" feature. Ha ha :-D For those of you with a sense of humor, I found a web based "wrap it up" app (pictured below). When conversations in real life run a tad too long...CUE MUSIC! Ha ha!

Just keep in mind, Periscope calls for short broadcast, not a live 2 hour show. Some viewers, including myself, have the attention span of a goldfish. 

2. Heart Hustling

A guaranteed way to run viewers off...hustle for hearts.  So, what's the deal with the rainbow heart explosion? Glad you asked. Viewers tap the screen to release hearts as a means of providing feedback and showing broadcasters some love. 

More specifically, the hearts measure popularity. Broadcasters who garner the most hearts land on the illustrious "Most Loved List." As Mark Shaw, Twitter expert would say, "This is social media, not selfish media." In other words, please stop broadcasting "heart hustling" scopes. It's not about you, its about connecting and engaging with viewers. Viewers showed up to glean information, not help you fulfill your dream of making the "Most Loved List." If you think that sounds harsh, you must listen Mark Shaw's take on the subject of social media v. selfish media. Side note: You will meet Mark Shaw further down in this post. 

Quick Tip: Instead of constantly hustling viewers for hearts, engage viewers by asking question or making statements encouraging feedback and interaction. For instance:

•  "If you agree with what I just said, tap the screen."

• "Tap the screen if you use (insert product name) in your classroom."

• "Anytime you hear valuable information you can use, tap the screen."

Just keep in mind, if you provide quality content the hearts will ascend.

1. PLAYING THE WAITING GAME

The number one reason why viewers abandon a live feed, broadcasters who make viewers WAIT! When you hit the broadcast button...LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Nothing frustrates viewers more than a broadcaster "waiting for the room to fill up." As Mark Shaw would say,

"Don't wait for the room to fill up. That's rude. Work with those viewers that showed up." (Start at 20:00)

Quick tip: Get started. Meet & Greet. Get to the point. For those that join late, provide a recap during your broadcast. 

Just keep in mind, viewers can watch the replay to catch what they missed. 

Game Changer
Have you jumped on the Periscope bandwagon? If so, what are your thoughts. Earlier today I shared my thoughts on Facebook:

"It is addicting and I spend way too much time watching. And with that being said, broadcasters should respect our time by providing quality content. I've left some broadcasts with valuable information to help me take ownership of my future. And I've left some broadcasts feeling slighted because my time was misused. Have I scoped before? No. But I have been a public speaker at various early childhood conferences; so, I know it takes nerve to speak publicly." 

Periscope is a game changer and I cannot wait to see how the world of teaching will be transformed.