Page 26 - 2024_Mag_91-2

Personal Reflection/Anecdote

to serve as a co-facilitator because I love photography
and could talk about it all day. My concern was having
the time to commit to the initiative because I am still
teaching. Also, I am a self-taught photographer and by
no means an expert. My equipment is minimal these
days—just my iPhone. I no longer use my Nikon.
Having co-facilitators is ideal, especially when
they have different strengths. Also, if one facilitator
has a conflict, the session can continue. As it turns out,
we were both in attendance at every session. Perhaps
because she is a music teacher, Becky is keenly aware
of time and timing. She is very linear, and I am more
holistic, creative, and global in my thinking. Being
a Mac user in a PC-oriented school district, I don’t
always trust my tech skills. Becky’s agreeing to run
the Zoom assuaged my tech concerns. From my point
of view, we were perfect together.

Becky: I think I was selected as a co-facilitator because
I am well documented as a cell phone photographer on
social media. I post pictures often on my Facebook
page, as well as on DKG pages and groups. Others
use my photos from group trips and DKG events
when they post about their own experiences at these
events. Additionally, I have had photos accepted to
the DKG International and Virginia State Organization
Fine Arts Galleries. Finally, I think my time with
DKG has proven my desire to be involved and my
willingness to lead or facilitate activities. I chose to
serve as a facilitator for those same reasons—desire
to be involved and a love of photography. There are
always concerns when one takes on something new—
time, skill level, will it go as planned, how will the
group gel, and so forth. I had concerns but felt I’d
be ok. And honestly, the commitment was only four
sessions. That’s very doable!

2. Did you have a clear understanding
of the goals of the network before
beginning?

Janis: I thought I did after attending training. However,
I only had a cursory knowledge of the Avenue M Report
and how the Visionary Networks fit in. I didn’t realize
our network was not in the professional thread but
fell into the personal category. However, I had a clear
understanding of the guidelines for our sessions. I was
thinking participants would want tips on getting better

24 · Volume 91-2