#DEN18: The Academy Begins (Part 4)

Today started off wonderfully, with a cinnamon roll & a 5.5-mile run. They cancel each other out, right? The run was a great way to see a lot of places in the city, and we definitely took some mini breaks for sightseeing and photo ops!

Do you see that star? It is Kastellet
- so cool!

After that, I met up with some other friends (even though I had never met them before - we are all instant friends here) for some more walking around and lunch. It is so much fun to just stroll through the city and see what we see!

Next up: The Google Innovator Academy - the reason we are all here! It was so much fun to walk in and have it be real. We engaged in several activities that had us smiling, laughing, high-fiving, and getting to know each other. The evening ended with an amazing dinner by the staff at the office of traditional Danish food. Yum!

I always try to be honest on this blog, and I want to be real now. While parts of the academy today were awesome, other parts were hard for me There are so many amazing educators here, and I feel the fear of, "Will I measure up? Do I really belong here? Can I be myself and fit into this group?" It can bring a dose of social anxiety! Everyone has been kind and encouraging, but these questions surface and bounce around in my own head. It has been a good reminder that this is the way some of our students feel every day. It is also how teachers sometimes feel, especially when pushed out of their comfort zone. None of us are immune. So what can we do about it? I've been grateful today for the people who, without even realizing it, have answered/affirmed one of those core questions. A little positive encouragement goes a long way!

Tomorrow will be a full day of design work, and I am simultaneously excited about what is coming and exhausted thinking about how much hard work it will be :-). The possibilities are (almost) endless, and I am trying to embrace that place of being open to whatever comes!