One of the disappointments of events that are bound by time, space and money is that some people are rejected. That’s what makes the Read/Write Web and new communication technologies so powerful–more of us can be engaged and participating than ever before.
When I facilitated Problem-based Learning Academies a few years ago–with Jennifer Faulkner, Lisa Ham and Dr. Alice Owen-Farsaii–I always wished we could pack more people in. Getting to know people was what made the experience exciting and engaging for me. When I consider the Google Teacher Academy for Administrators, I’m excited to have the opportunity to interact and build relationships with other folks, perhaps asking similar questions and facing ill-structured problems.
I’m grateful to be accepted to GTA for Admin being held in San Antonio, not because it’s Google, but because of the opportunity to network with educators from around the Nation. It’s those relationships that are more important than any one organization, right? Those are the learning connections. That said, I am thankful to Google for facilitating that connection, bringing in great speakers and planners (like Henry Thiele).
But what about those who didn’t make it? It’s a bit of a downer to not get accepted. While some are choosing to frame their rejection letter, what if you were to write them back? What might that look like?
Since I was curious, I decided to give it a shot…here’s the letter I might have sent GTA for Admin if I’d been rejected:
Dear GTA for Admin Selection Committee:
Thank you for your prompt response to my application to the GTA for Administrators. I jumped out of bed every morning and stumbled groggily to my computer, hoping against hope that the acceptance letter would be there. This afternoon, I found to my dismay that I had not been selected. And, as I hear the notification bing for the tweets of those who were selected coming from my speakers, a part of me wants to “power down” and slip away…nurse my wounds in private. But I will not.
You see, I already am an avid, enthusiastic supporter of what it takes to be a Google Teacher teaching in an age of innovation. Somehow, my application didn’t make that message clear. Even now, as I sit here mustering the intestinal fortitude to keep going in the face of disappointment that I won’t be joining others as committed and excited about google-powered leadership and management, I am asking myself, “What can I do to help other educators understand the power of connected learning, creative collaboration, and innovative intelligence?”
This rejection letter, which I’ve framed and put on my wall next to me, will serve as a simple reminder that to succeed, one must experience failure. To yearn for freedom hard enough to fly, one must experience the gravity of being grounded. Next time, Google, it won’t be you who lacks the space for just one more GTA candidate to fly high. It will be the organization I work in that tried to clip my wings, to prevent people from achieving the nascent power of personal learning networks.
Thank you for the rejection that grounds me and forces me to strain against the bonds that bind me.
I have an image or picture in my head. It’s an angel struggling to break free from the ropes that bind it to the ground…it manages to get airborne, a few feet off the ground, the wings flapping heroically, its desire to be free and fly with the others in the clouds above palpable in its face. And, just as the final strain promises to drag the angel down to the ground, the ropes break, and the angel surges into the sky, the cool wind carrying it aloft, drying the beads of sweat, the freedom of the experience soothing away the creased brow and a song springs to its lips.
Weird, huh?
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Another Think Coming 
thanks for this. I have now been rejected twice for the google teacher academy and it was hard to take. The first time I was "waitlisted" and I did write an email back, more lighthearted than your letter, but just letting them know that I felt I deserved to be there as much as anyone and couldn't they just make space for one more. I got an odd, canned email in response, telling me that only the best and brightest are selected for the GTA, that their applications shined in all areas. It made me wonder which part of my application was less than shiny.The second time I enlisted some students to help me with my application video. They were certain I would be accepted and were so excited for me. When I got my rejection email, they were incredulous. So, together in class we watched some of the successful videos. My sweet students couldn't understand how these teachers were accepted over me. They really made me feel good.It was fun and a good learning experience making the two videos. I actually just watched one of them again tonight for fun, and I still think I did a great job, that my video was as good as any (and maybe even better than some that were accepted). I thought my written application was good, too.Who knows why I wasn't shiny enough for google. Here's the silver lining: I have had several opportunities to use this experience as an example to share with my students-perseverance, not letting the rejection of others hold us back from being the best we know we are–when I share my feelings about GTA my students know how hard I worked and how much I wanted to go.Will I apply again? What do you think? PS-Congratulations on your well-deserved acceptance to the Google for Admins.
thanks for this. I have now been rejected twice for the google teacher academy and it was hard to take. The first time I was “waitlisted” and I did write an email back, more lighthearted than your letter, but just letting them know that I felt I deserved to be there as much as anyone and couldn't they just make space for one more. I got an odd, canned email in response, telling me that only the best and brightest are selected for the GTA, that their applications shined in all areas. It made me wonder which part of my application was less than shiny.The second time I enlisted some students to help me with my application video. They were certain I would be accepted and were so excited for me. When I got my rejection email, they were incredulous. So, together in class we watched some of the successful videos. My sweet students couldn't understand how these teachers were accepted over me. They really made me feel good.It was fun and a good learning experience making the two videos. I actually just watched one of them again tonight for fun, and I still think I did a great job, that my video was as good as any (and maybe even better than some that were accepted). I thought my written application was good, too.Who knows why I wasn't shiny enough for google. Here's the silver lining: I have had several opportunities to use this experience as an example to share with my students-perseverance, not letting the rejection of others hold us back from being the best we know we are–when I share my feelings about GTA my students know how hard I worked and how much I wanted to go.Will I apply again? What do you think? PS-Congratulations on your well-deserved acceptance to the Google for Admins.
The acceptance/application process should be transparent…like Google. So should the criteria for judging who is accepted. And, who is judging anyway? And where are those videos? Shouldn't they be posted somewhere where they're shared with others to inspire. There were a handful of us back here in NYC who heavily pushed Google to create the academy back in 2008 when they were very much against the idea. After several communications and proposals they agreed it's a good idea to have admins on board too. Hope you enjoy Miguel. Will be interested to hear what you think.
The acceptance/application process should be transparent…like Google. So should the criteria for judging who is accepted. And, who is judging anyway? And where are those videos? Shouldn't they be posted somewhere where they're shared with others to inspire. There were a handful of us back here in NYC who heavily pushed Google to create the academy back in 2008 when they were very much against the idea. After several communications and proposals they agreed it's a good idea to have admins on board too. Hope you enjoy Miguel. Will be interested to hear what you think.