Who I am at this stage of my career

Last week I had the singluar pleasure--one that all teachers both treasure and experience far too seldom--of having lunch with a former student who now lives on the opposite coast of the U.S. Warren was one of a group of exceptional young people on the high school academic competition team I coached in the mid-1990s. He is well-educated, highly accomplished and award-winning in his specialized computer engineering field, and a man of character and compassion. He also knows how to pin down his conversational companion. As we caught up on our lives over the two years since we last met, it came out that I am considering retiring at the end of 2011. Warren, who has always relentlessly asked questions, practically forced me to explore that decision: he asked why I have taught, my philosophy of education, how teaching has changed throughout my career, why I want to retire, and what I will do when I retire. He asked what my dream job is and how I am going to get it. I don't have all those answers yet but my commitment to my former and current students demands that I find the answers. That's what I will try to accomplish with this blog. I' write about who I am at this stage of my career, how education has changed, how it has changed me as a teacher, and what I have learned--and continue to learn--from both former and current students. I'll reflect on choosing teaching as my second career, on following the lives of the adults who were students of mine in past decades, on mentoring/encouraging teachers in the early stages of their career, on advocacy issues, and whatever other topics I need to explore to find answers to Warren's questions.

This blog is a journey. I don't know where it will take me, but I plan to enjoy the ride.