So I will start with Fall of 2022. Teaching has and continues to become more challenging. I moved back into the classroom in 2020 after many years as an Educational Technology Coach at the K-5 level with two schools. I was fortunate as a coach to be able to work with some really dedicated teachers as we integrated different technology tools into units of teaching. Sometimes learning experiences were spectacular and sometimes we as a team would go back to the drawing board. I really enjoyed working with the students and teachers but mostly the students. I love the moments when a maker meets his/her/their medium be it 3D printing, video game design, coding, or more.
The transition to Middle School has had its highs and lows. Being in the classroom is a challenging mix of planning, pivots, and patience. This past summer I did four different virtual PDs through Pathfinders to better equip my classroom and myself. I started with Micro:Bit and CodeJoy and absolutely fell in love with Kelsey and Matt. I then started Chibitronics but struggled with the format more. At the same time, I did Hummingbird with CodeJoy and really became excited about Micro:Bits and Hummingbirds in my classroom. Lastly I was fortunate enough to convince Colleen Graves to let me in her Makey Makey course. This summer PD really impacted my hopes and plans for the new school year.
Starting the new school year with Micro:Bits and a renewed understanding of circuits and block based coding, I reworked my curriculum to integrate these amazing new tools. I had grandiose plans of mentoring our elementary school students with our InfyMakers Grant for the Glowforge and all of the tools that I had received through Pathfinders. But reality quickly set in, with class sizes of 22-30, and students who didn't always want to try new things and possibly fail, I was reminded that sometimes the journey is longer than you anticipate.
I know some people read this blog and for the most part I try to highlight what is working and what didn't work but hope is a premium right now in this profession. I entered the school year with a lot of hopes and dreams but by October, I started to seriously question the 25 years that I had spent working in the public educational system. After a panic attack induced by student behavior, I realized that I might not have what it takes anymore. In a system that is understaffed and over expected to do what the students need, we fail to realize that we are burning our most dedicated people out.
It was during this very dark moment that I received an email for CrossRoads 2023 from the Infosys Foundation. For some odd reason, they wanted me to participate in an opportunity to connect with industry leaders, professors, makers, and educators around Computer Science and Making. I held on to that invitation with all of my being. It was the lifeline that I needed as my family and friends struggled to keep me afloat.
Should they have really invited me? What did I have to contribute? Could I even go? Would I have to use my own personal time and money? Where could this lead? Was this the light that I needed?
So without asking anyone, I registered before they realized that they were making a mistake by inviting me.