Change Is the Only Constant

I'm proud to be a faculty member of one of the best school districts in the nation.  Although NC educators are going through some tough times right now, at our district we are driven to empower excellence in our students and colleagues every day.  We strive to capture kids' hearts and minds as we develop them into 21st century learners and leaders.  We are also a 1:1 district where technology is seamlessly infused into our instructional and administrative practices.  We pride ourselves in being instructional technology leaders and with all the technology, comes constant change.  We are always moving, always growing, always evolving.

Before I was an ESL teacher, I was a Business Education teacher and taught computer-related courses from MS Office applications to Web Design to Digital Graphics.  I never taught the exact same course twice.  Some days I longed to be a Spanish or History teacher so I could plan a course and be able to teach it several years in a row.  After all, verbs don't change very much and once a war has been fought and won, it's over.  All this change was exciting, but I hated feeling that I was never caught up.

Fast forward 11 years and I am now an ESL teacher at a 1:1 district.  Sure, my subject area is relatively constant, but nothing else is.  And I love it!!!  I love the exciting, dynamic culture of my school district and while I still have that feeling of not being caught up, I love the growth and development.   I love to teach, but I love to learn even more and I especially love that technology prevents me from becoming complacent and stagnant.  Furthermore, technology enables us to grow alongside our students and helps me connect with them. I also love that my student population and demographics are always changing. There's always a new nationality and culture to learn about and they inevitably impact my teaching style and methods.   For me, all these changes are humbling and they keep me on my toes.

So what's my teaching going to be like in five years? I hope that in five years, I'm still a part of this amazing and innovative district, but no matter where life takes me, in my world change is the only constant.   I have professional and personal goals that may take me to another district, another field or another grade level.  Regardless of whether I remain in my current position or I move on to something else, one thing's for sure, my teaching will change because I'm always changing.   If I don't change, I don't grow.  And if I don't grow, I'm done.   Will I ever be caught up? No way.  Once I feel as if I am, it's over.

#BestYearEver