StarWomanPlus Interviews Vicki Davis whose motto is : "I may not be smarter, but I can work har
StarWomanPlus-What is inspiration to you? And how do you get inspired? Vicki Davis - I work hard to start my day with inspiration. I've adapted Hal Elrod's Miracle Morning routine into my own I call PAVERS. I start each day with prayer, affirmations, vizualization, exercise, reading and scribing (journaling). *(His first one is "S" for silence.)* We are all also a product of the people we hang around, the books we read and the places we go. I'm attracted to awesome people and love to learn from them. My goal is to read at least 30 minutes of nonfiction a night. I like to read great blogs and listen to podcasts. I work hard to interview top notch people on my show *Every Classroom Matters* and use the growing popularity of the show to interview AWESOME people who write books and do incredible things. SWP- Are you on a journey with destiny? What is the journey? What is your destiny? VD- I believe we all have something we are made to do. As a Christian, I believe in God who knows that destiny. I don't always see clearly what that is, but I know that it involves a calling to encourage teachers and be an inspiration to my students. I know that calling is to a profession in transition with lots of good people going through really bad things. I know that calling includes showing others that we can be more. We can live exceptional lives in hard times. If I had a wish, it would be the Winston Churchill of education – encouraging the profession I admire to never never never give up. We will move ahead as our profession transitions. We must be brave and speak for what is right for children. We must be willing to break from the herd when the herd is running over a cliff. We must courageously pursue world class education when the world thinks it can be measured by a multiple choice test. (It can't.) SWP-Have doubt & faith affected your core/vision/mission/purpose? How? VD-As a human, we all have doubts. As for faith, it is important to make sure I have faith in the right things. I can have faith that if I jump off a building that I will fly. The reality is, without a jetpack, I will splat on the sidewalk. Too many people in today's world have faith in things that won't hold them up when they fall. Every time I fall, I am not held up by my faith - I am held up because I have a faith in the One who holds me up. When I cannot go on, I take one step at a time and rely on God. I pray. I read the Bible. I also read lots of stories of those who have led in times of transition. The book *River of Doubt* about Theodore Roosevelt is a fantastic one, for example, because it is a true story with so many truths for living an epic, courageous life. While many have rituals of God, I don't believe in rituals or even religion. I have a relationship with a real God and His Son. This is a hard thing for many to understand and I'm glad you asked it. I don't expect anyone to understand but I do know that this same relationship is available to anyone who wants it. There is nothing special about me, but lots special about the God I serve. SWP- You have an abundant plan for your life ,right? How do you want to get there? VD-There's a verse in the Bible that says that Christ came that "we might have life and life to the full." About 15 years a go, I realized that the best days of my life were started with prayer and reading my Bible. When I realized that, it was like a light bulb went on and I realized that how I started my day is important. Since then, I've learned that 60% of the actions we take in our days are NOT DECISIONS. They are habits. So,now, I'm intentional about my
< http://www.edutopia.org/blog/12 What to Do When Someone Hates You < http://www.coolcatteacher.com/ I'm Such a Great Teacher, Why Do I Want to Quit < http://www.coolcatteacher.com/if- - these are works born out of struggle. Overcoming struggle helps people most. Sometimes I wish I could have a break though. SWP-Is whatever you are involved with an effective tool for change? VD- Change happens when you impact people. Each form of social media where I connect with others is a place to connect with those people. It also means being your authentic self - no fakes. If I am connected and authentic, there will be some people who I can help. In the end, though, the only person I can change is me. I have to stop telling everybody what to do and get my own act together. As I share my journey, without ego or fakery, then I become helpful. So, I can be part of change as people build their PLN and seek it. Just remember that people who want to change, do. People who don't want to, complain and make excuses until they have to or until they die. It is easier to go ahead and change. Change is much easier when we decide to. SWP-In what ways should women maximize the abilities in their vision? VD- I am one of three sisters. My dad is a farmer. When I was about 7, Dad and I were carrying a heavy battery to jump off an irrigation battery (kind of like jumping off a car battery). It was very heavy. I got frustrated and dropped my end on the ground and yelled, "I can't carry this, I'm just a girl." I'll never forget. Dad put down his side and came over to mine and looked at me and said, "I would take you over 3 boys. Don't you ever tell me again that you can't do something because you're a girl. You can do ANYTHING at all in this world. ANYTHING. You dropped that battery because it was hard, you wanted to quit, and you made an excuse. Don't ever do it again." I picked up my side and we carried it and started the irrigation. We needed the corn to get that water so Dad could feed us. In college I had an amazing professor, Dr. Phil Adler. Dr. Adler had a special love for minorities and women and in class gave us the secret to overcoming discrimination. "You don't overcome it by talking too much about it. You overcome discrimination by being so good, they can't ignore you. Talent is too scarce to ignore when it shows up. Show up." So, between these two, I'm a fighter. I am who I am. Period. I happen tobe a woman. Being a woman does define who I am in some ways but it does not limit me. I have choices of what to tackle and what not to tackle. If I choose to tackle it and I'm called to tackle it, then I will. As Yoda says, "do or do not, there is no try." When I started my first week at Georgia Tech, I had a young man tell me, "You are just here to get your 'M-R-S degree' - by the end of the semester, you'll have your suitcase crying on the street corner as your Mom and Dad come to pick you up."
At that point, I adopted a motto, I am a farm girl and I can outwork almost anyone. My motto: "I may not be smarter, but I can work harder." I worked at that place and graduated at the top of my class from Georgia Tech.I am not defined by what people say to me. I am defined by what I think of myself. I am defined by God's calling on my life. Even now, I am a keynote speaker in the largely male- dominated speaking field of education technology. But I don't want to be chosen because I'm a woman. I want to be picked because I'm one of the best speakers in the business and I motivate and connect with teachers.
Also, you have to make sure that you don't make yourself an easy target. I've had death threats and trolls who make sexual innuendo and trash talk me. If you're a woman who lets that get to you, you'll never be effective. Every time I get hit by trolls (they feed on drama), I remind myself that trolls like to be mean and dismiss it. When I get critics, I listen and see if there is any truth to it - if so I consider it and adjust. When my friends and family give me criticism, I always listen because they love me. But I use criticism as nitrous oxide in my engine. Criticism is evidence that I'm doing something people notice. There is something far worse than criticism - that is being ignored. That, is true failure. Too many women let trolls, critics, and their own mistakes derail them. Be tough. Be awesome. Be you. But don't be overly emotional about the territory of criticism because criticism comes with leadership. SWP-When did you begin to embrace and become aware of your purpose/ vision? What was your reaction? VD- I had no plans to become a teacher. My mentor and friend, Betty Shiver,told me I'd make a great teacher and tried to hire me as a teacher. I thought that leaving the business world was the end of everything I knew and any hope at being successful.This was reinforced by all of the business people who made "poor you" remarks about my decision. But the truth is, as I prayed about it, I was called to be a teacher. In 2005, I felt called to blog even though I didn't know what it was. I've always wanted to be an author and this was my entrance (although I didn't know it at the time.)
I think the first time I realized that something unexplainably epic was happening in my life was when I co- created a conference held in Doha, Qatar and we were riding through the desert sand dunes doing something called Dune Bashing. As the loud arabic music played and we all yelled in joy,I realized that living life full out is AWESOME. Every time I travel a cool place like South Africa, India, China, Hawaii, and around the world, I feel that "yahoo" in my heart. It isn't that this life is easy. It is that this life is rewarding because I'm living my purpose to encourage and help others. It isn't always fun when I get up at 5 am to write but the rewards are incredible. My reaction to the fact that God uses me is one of gratefulness. A meaningful life is a life well lived. We each only get one. It is great comfort to know that I'm in the center of God's purpose for me. SWP- A woman's mind and soul are important? How important? VD-Each human being has a soul of infinite worth. Pardon getting spiritual on me, but you said soul. I do admire that you're brave enough to ask these questions. I need to be brave enough to answer with my authentic self and since you asked, I hope you'll be willing to let me share my authentic answer. I believe that once we come into being that our souls are eternal. We spend so much time planning this life and so little time planning there hereafter. I think it is a big enough thing that every human being should take time to examine what they think about this. We each have a choice and need to make a decision for ourselves. I'm grateful to live in a country that lets us all make choices. I'm also grateful that Jesus Christ came to earth so I could be forgiven of my sins. I am grateful that I can "renew my mind" every day. This means that if I get in harmful thought patterns, if I get down, if I get frustrated then I can come up again. I don't have to stay down. I wrote a poem that sort of shows how I feel about this. I hope it gives a peek into this mind/ soul connection for me. The Deep -by Vicki Davis Here in the shadows, I float suspended Half-open eyes, I feel upended. Hair streaming wild, the sharks swim by. I barely flinch. I’m here to die. Light streams down from the waves above. A shadow zips by from a passing tug. The world upside is working ahead while I float here, almost dead. Will passengers notice the dark, sinking dot? Will anyone glance at my vacated spot? Surely someone heard me drop? Does anyone care I’m about to stop? Here I float, my heart still beating, neurons firing, yet hope is fleeting. I float as I wonder why I should swim. I sink further as my eyes grow dim. Down I go. But then I stop. A long arm reaches down from the top. Though I am weak, He’s alive and tugs me, pulls me, to His side. I am in no-time and in no-space. Purest love streams forth -- His face ! “Live my child and do not die. Kick and swim to-wards the sky!” I awaken from my reverie, sunken further in the Deep sea. I take the final breath I’ve got and kick my feet to-wards the top. I emerge above with ruddy glow Delivered from the Deep be-low, Passing fishermen stop in fright and heave me from my fatal plight. I sit on deck wrapped in a blanket wondering where my hope is yet. I breath in the fresh sea air and realize that I do not care. I remember that firm, strong hand and somehow know there is a plan to rescue me and rescue all from the Deep to which we fall. My flesh warms up, my eyes open wide as I see the Fisherman now at my side. The rippling arms and deep blue eyes, the scruffy beard and commanding size. Surely, I’m being saved by the Strongest Man who sees me Deep where no one can. I may now sail to distant shore but with this Fisherman, I fear the Deep no more. SWP-How should our educational systems be involved in helping girls discover their purpose? VD-We should help girls break free of stereotype and self-limiting thoughts. We should be careful how we push girls into what we think they should be instead of letting them make decisions for themselves. My daughter is becoming an engineer and few girls are doing that. She doesn't care -she is who she is. It is hard to do when magazines focus on how we look. Some girls work harder on taking the perfect selfie than their college applications. We can be more. We can do more for them. There are so many things we can but I think that exposing them to STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math are an important part of helping them discover their purpose. SWP-Who are (is) your mentor(s)? What have you learnt from them? VD-I have quite a few mentors. My parents, my husband, my sisters are all on my "board of directors". Mrs. Betty Shiver, my curriculum director, is a mentor as is Mrs. Grace Adkins, our 83 year old learning lab director at school who was also my 2nd grade teacher. The executive producer of my show, *Every Classroom Matters*, Errol Smith is also a close mentor and confidante. My pastor, Michael Catt, from Sherwood Baptist Church is one who has encouraged me, although it was a tweet and facebook message at a time, his teaching has profoundly shaped my life.
I have a long distance mentor who doesn't know I exist but I read and listen to everything Michael Hyatt shares. I also had many female mentors when I was at Georgia Tech who profoundly shaped my life -- Shirley Mewborne - one of the first 2 women to graduate from Georgia Tech (she and the other woman drew straws to see who was first across the stage) and Ivenue Love-Stanely (the first black woman architect in the state of Georgia who designed the Olympic nadatorium.) John Carter, president of the Georgia Tech alumni association and one of my first bosses, Pam Lopez. Really, I have several close people for a season. Each of them teach me something different. Their war stories help prevent me from having a war story in that area. There is safety in wise counsel. You become like those who you are around, so be around awesome people. I'm grateful to have some of the finest people on the planet who have surrounded me with their wisdom. SWP-Those times that seem as if nothing is working,how do you pull yourself through? VD- There is a Latin term -Solvitur ambulando- this is Latin for "it is solved by walking." So many things in life are solved through practical experience- moving ahead one day at a time. Seeking wisdom and pushing through. Sometimes the answer is take it one day at a time. When it is really hard, it is take it one moment at a time. I am careful not to make decisions when I am too tired or too emotional. I refuse to let frustrating situations make me cry (unless I am alone and no one knows.)
For example, I need to have a very hard conversation with someone at my work right now. I know it is going to be tough and that it is very very important to everything. So, I'm reading the book *Crucial Conversations*, one of the best books every written on having these hard conversations. I am seeking wise counsel. Sometimes greatness lies in knowing your own weakness and taking steps to overcome it. SWP-How do you express the energies in your passion? VD- I BLOG! I TWEET! I TEACH! I live life full-out. My goal is to live life with no regrets. I may not achieve but it will not be for lack of trying. I also express it in consistent action and habits. If I want to be something, I work hard to do it every day. I also take time to know that very few things in this world are about me at all. To leave a legacy, it is about others. And the more helpful I am, the more amazing things happen in my own life. SWP- Any last words for women/girls out there standing by and for their dreams? VD-You matter. Your dream is important.Read books. Meet people. Have a healthy body and healthy mind.Examine your own heart . Find your own purpose. Don't be limited by your gender, be empowered by it. Don't go with popular beliefs, form your own. Courageously pursue your purpose and if you don't have one (yet), courageously pursue finding it. Being a woman is a gift - be one right back to the world. And when you're down - pop by my blog. ;-)
www.coolcatteacher.com @coolcatteacher on Twitter and everywhere Vicki Davis is a full time teacher at Westwood Schools in Camilla. She is the author of the Cool Cat Teacher Blog < http://www.coolcatteacher.com and host of Every Classroom Matters http:// www.coolcatteacher.com/teacher-podcast/ . She has written two books Reinventing Writing < http://www.coolcatteacher.com/reinventing-writing-trailer/
Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds < http://astore.amazon.com/