Happy Friday, friends!!!

I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. As I type this, I’m preparing to leave for ISTE. If you’re going, please let me know! What is on your calendar? Here’s where I will be (with an update):

Monday: EduMatch/Educator Alexander karaoke at Teq’s Happy Hour
Tuesday: Teq Booth (1114) Book Signing 10:30-11:30, Our Voice Alliance mainstage event (organizing, but not speaking) 3:45-4:45
Wednesday: Teq Booth (1114) for “Self-Publishing for Authors: A Quick Start” 10:30-10:55

If you don’t already know about Teq, check them out! They do amazing work, and are one of EduMatch’s trusted partners. I’m excited, because it’s my first time to meet our new friends there face-to-face. (Not a sponsored plug)

Whether you are at #ISTELive23 or #NotatISTE, we all know how important it is to make connections. That’s my favorite part of the entire experience. Thus, I bring you: Six People You ABSOLUTELY Want in your PLF, a throwback post!

Six People You Absolutely Want in Your PLF

Admittedly, I’m not a list person…lists are finite and exclusive, and inevitably, someone is omitted. For this reason, I am not going to shoutout people by name in this post, although I definitely have them in mind. They may see themselves in these descriptions, though :) Also, these are not exclusive, as the same person can hypothetically fill more than one of these roles.

Despite (and quite possibly because of) the fact that I am ridiculously introverted, I value my friendships deeply…this goes for all of my relationships, regardless of whether they began online or offline. These six personalities have proven themselves as invaluable members of my learning crew. Also, this blog post feels vaguely familiar, which means one of two things…either a) I recently saw something that made me think of this or b) I have been marinating on this for a long time, to the point that it’s writing itself. If it’s the former, no biting intended. If it’s the latter, I’m glad it’s finally coming out.

1. The Dreamer

The dreamer is always thinking of a master plan, with nothing but sweat inside [their] hand. They are the Rakims and Lucy Ricardos of education. These individuals are great at seeing the big picture and connecting the dots. They have a knack for identifying solutions, and you can often hear them starting off sentences with, “what if…?”

2. The Doer

The doer is like Cardi B, in the fact that they make “money moves.” While such moves may not have anything to do with money at all, the entrepreneurial mindset is present. These are the folks you see always on their hustle, as @MattWasFunny would say, “for the children!” When Dreamer & Doer team up…watch out! The Earth is about to move.

I was recently speaking with a Doer friend of mine, and we came to the conclusion that one of the best things you can do for these folks is telling them the words no or can’t. They will take it as a personal challenge to prove you wrong.

3. Critical Friends

At first, some may misunderstand the intention of a critical friend…they may be blunt and/or disagree with you, but their intention is to get you to level up. For example, when I was a teenager, I thought my parents were strict, but they were really trying to get me to be my best. My dissertation committee was sometimes brutal in their feedback, but that’s because they knew I had it in me to do better, and they wouldn’t let me stop until I did.

Much like these examples, a critical friend will sometimes push back or question you. While their feedback may not always come with a spoonful of sugar, this is actually a gift.

Some may get confused between critical friends and toxic relationships. These are two very different things. A critical friend should not make you feel like a punching bag; although sometimes unsolicited, their feedback should be rooted in love and respect. Also, critical friends will critique you in private while praising you in public (Carnegie). If someone is publicly ripping you, this is likely not your friend.