I’ve wanted to be a teacher ever since I was 15 years old. I remember the English teacher who helped me love having Socratic discussions. I remember the band teacher who challenged me as a young adult. I remember teachers coming to swim meets, concerts, plays, and even graduation parties when we were done with school.
As a teacher, I’ve continued to grow my love of teaching by working with my colleagues to grow in our practice. My first principal showed me that it was okay to ask questions as well as proudly share what we’re doing in our classes. Doing so taught me how to grow in my own learning. He also gave me the okay to go to my first professional conference, where I learned about Flipped Learning, where I first heard about TechSmith.
Through all of this, I’ve developed a new love of teaching teachers. I shared at my first conference after nearly a year of flipping, and I caught the bug. I continue to look forward to sharing successes, failures, insights, and questions, at conferences. I also look forward to being challenged and being forced to explain why I do what I do in the classroom. It’s where growth happens. It’s also where I feel like my career is taking me.
I went to Colorado in the summer of 2011 and shared my learning. It’s also where I got to meet Dave McCollom and Troy Stein for the first time. Ever since then, I have had a fantastic working relationship with TechSmith.
Photo Credit: h.koppdelaney via Compfight cc
I’m very excited to (officially) announce that I’m going to be shifting into a new role at the beginning of March. TechSmith has asked me to join their Academic Team as the Academic Customer Solutions Engineer. So, what does that mean?
It means I’m going to be a resource for teachers regionally and across the nation. My purpose is to help teachers use technology in their classrooms more effectively. I’ll be the bridge between classroom practice and TechSmith as they look to help teachers solve problems through the better use of technology.
While the timing isn’t ideal, leaving in the middle of a school year, I believe this is the correct next step in my career. I’m simply stepping aside in order to serve where I believe I can make a greater impact. I won’t have my own classroom anymore, and that’s a very difficult thing for me at the moment. But, I’m looking forward to having my feet in many, many more classrooms as I transition into the new role. I’m excited to continue to work with everyone I’ve worked with in the past as well as people I have yet to meet.