I am sitting at my computer still amazed and excited that, one day ago, I received an email that I was accepted into the Google Teacher Academy in Mountain View in December. This was my second attempt to get in to a GTA with the first being the New York GTA that recently concluded.

Just like several other educators, I was watching the Twitter feed waiting to see if anyone had any news. The funny thing was that the first hashtag (#gtamv) I was using wasn’t very popular. I was starting to think that it wasn’t the right day for the announcement until a teacher pointed out that I had the wrong hashtag. Once I was following the right hashtag (#gtamtv), I was relieved to see that there were several educators anxiously waiting. I was nervous and wasn’t quite sure if I have done enough to get in this time. It also didn’t help that my principal was texting me every 15 minutes to see if I heard anything.

Finally, the email came and I read it, reread it, and reread it again. I was accepted to the GTAMV. I couldn’t believe it and I’m not sure that I completely believe it now. I am an Inbox Zero type of person, but the one email that is still in my inbox is the acceptance email. The caliber of educators that got accepted and those that did not is amazing. I think I added more people to my Twitter account in one night than I have ever done in a single sitting. Those who got in and those who didn’t were added. It didn’t matter because I was finding more educators who were passionate about what they do and I can learn from all of them.

At work today, I was on cloud nine. I had told my principal that I couldn’t believe that I got in. Her reply was “Why?” My response was “Have you seen the quality of the teachers that got in and those who didn’t? It is impressive.” She assured me that I earned and deserved my spot and that I can hold my own with anyone. It is an honor to be selected. I cannot wait to meet and learn with the GTAMV teachers and to share my experiences with those that didn’t make it this time, but I am sure they will next time.

Not getting into the GTANY forced me to raise the bar of what I do in the classroom and how I interact through social media. Getting into GTAMTV has raised the bar again. I will expect more of myself in the classroom and my social media interactions because I have been given this great opportunity.