Stretching Your Edges a Keynote by Jennifer Abrams
Two weeks
ago, I attended the ACAMIS Leadership Conference, where one of the keynote
speakers, Jennifer Abrams, delivered an interesting session on
the ongoing journey of professional growth. Her keynote focused on how we can
continually develop ourselves in relation to professionalism.
Key
Takeaways from Jennifer Abrams’ Keynote
Jennifer
highlighted the necessity of working collaboratively, communicating
effectively, and being valuable group members. She began by prompting us to
reflect on our growth from our very first job to where we are today. This
activity helped us to understand the concept of “growing up at work”-not in a
diminishing sense, but as a reminder that professional development is an
ongoing process. We are encouraged to 'grow psychologically, cognitively, and
emotionally throughout our careers'.
The goal of
her work is to help us:
- View challenges as external rather than personal
- Avoid being swept up or overly reactive to difficulties
- Respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively
- Collaborate more effectively with others
- Approach situations with greater thoughtfulness
- Navigate the world with increased ease
Five
Facets for Professional Growth
To achieve
these goals, Jennifer outlined five facets for self-exploration:
1. Self-awareness: Understand
your identity, upbringing, strengths, and limitations.
2. Openness: Suspend
certainty and embrace complexity and openness in your thinking.
3. Responsible Communication: Take ownership of your language and all forms of
communication.
4. Reciprocity and Respect: Practice mutual respect and live your values openly.
5. Resilience and Emotional Health: Build resilience and prioritize your emotional
well-being.
I found her keynote interesting and a reminder of how we can continue to 'grow at work', how we can, 'be better' and how, 'we can be of value'. As educators Abrams reminds us of the important of not only growing as educators but to grow and “stretch our edges” as professionals.
- Video to learn more by Jennifer Abrams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYIRtOULhto
- Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/e5-stretching-your-learning-edges-with-jennifer-abrams/id1741532932?i=1000662599345'
- Jennifer Abram's website: https://jenniferabrams.com/spotlight/
