A month ago, school wound down. Like other years, I started going through all of my supplies, papers, and books, purging out what I no longer needed. And just like many other years, I began packing up what remained of my classroom for a move. But this year, something was different. Instead of moving down the hall, upstairs, or into a brand new building, I am moving to a new school.
After eight years in my current position, I decided I was ready for a change, a new challenge, and a new adventure. As I packed up everything from my classroom and crammed it into my car, I was full of excitement, sadness, and wonder. I can’t wait for my new position! I can’t believe I am leaving great friends and a respected position behind. Am I making the right decision?
As I walked out the doors of “my” school for the last time, I was reminded of why I made this decision. I thrive on challenge, and I love to find innovative ways to educate students and engage their passions. I was starting to get too comfortable. I was no longer stretching forward as much as I had been eight years ago. It is time to start something new.
This fall, I will be teaching high school as part of a STEM academy. It’s a school within a school model. Our entire high school is going to project based learning (PBL), but the program I am joining, CDAT, has been doing multiple subject integrated project based learning for four years. The school I am joining was just certified as a Georgia STEM school, the first public high school to earn this distinction. One of the other exciting things about my new school is that it is the high school my middle school students feed into. This means I will have the opportunity to teach many of my former sixth grade students again as high schoolers. I am really looking forward to this.
I have already had a chance to work with my new team planning a couple of our projects for the fall. I am really looking forward to working more as part of this team. It’s going to be an amazing adventure. My goal will be to share how we do project based learning with you, so stay tuned for more on this amazing journey!
And were you wondering what I will be teaching? I’m joining our STEM academy, and I will be teaching chemistry, engineering, and a introduction to technology course this fall.
