When I first started teaching in 2003, our school principal shared a metaphor with us that I have never forgotten. She told us about a whale facing a hunter in the ocean. Because the whale is so big, changing direction takes time, and by the time it manages to turn, the hunter may already have caught up with it. Then she told us about a group of sardines: when they face danger, they can change direction quickly; if one sardine turns, the others follow, and together, they move away from the problem.
Her message to us was simple: As teachers, be like the sardines. Stay flexible, be agile, and remain connected enough to move together.
That story stayed with me.
Twenty-three years later, I still remember it.
And every time I watch the sardines change direction in Finding Nemo, I am reminded of that first lesson and of the kind of educator I want to be.
It also makes me think about something else.
We rarely know the impact we have on others.
A principal shared a simple story with me as a young teacher. I carried it for more than two decades. Perhaps she never imagined that a story shared in a staff room would still be remembered 23 years later.
Since I started giving workshops in 2004, I have had the privilege of meeting and learning with thousands of educators in different countries, schools and educational contexts.
Over the years, I have often wondered: What happens after the workshop ends?
Which idea stayed with you? Which strategy did you try? Did something change in the way you teach, lead, collaborate or think about learning? Was there a moment that made you see something differently?
I am now collecting stories of impact from educators who have attended one of my workshops or sessions.
I am not looking for compliments or general feedback. I am interested in the specific moments of change.
Maybe you implemented a strategy I shared. Maybe an idea changed the way you approached a unit, a team, a conversation or your students. Maybe you gained a new perspective. Maybe something small from a workshop stayed with you and influenced a decision years later.
If you can, tell me the story.
What happened?
What did you do differently?
What changed as a result?
The survey is short. Maybe you remember a workshop from 2004. Maybe it was last month.
I don't know what these stories will become, and I don't need to know yet.
For now, I simply want to listen.
Because just as that simple story about the sardines has stayed with me for 22 years, perhaps something I shared with you has stayed with you too.
And I would be honoured to hear about it.
Together we learn & grow