X = the unknown

In math X equals the unknown. It's also my nickname, but I never anticipated that it would come to define a period in my life. When I started teaching I was so proud. I told everyone about my school and what I did. I was so involved in my school and my students. Aside from a 3 course teaching load, I sponsored several organizations. Thinking I was superwoman, "no" was a word seldom heard from me. I excelled at this high performing level for awhile providing engaging instruction and forming lasting academic relationships with my students. But burnout was a looming storm in my forecast.

When the burnout came it was I felt like Dorothy when the house fell on her. Suddenly, I lost my love for teaching. The students that I love also zapped alot of my energy because they lives were often filled with so much turmoil. I hadn't learn how to seperate myself yet. Administration on many levels was struggling and I was taking it personal.

Soooooo, I made some changes that ultimately landed me in a new position launching a virtual high school. During the first 6 years of my career I participated in every FREE instructional program I had access to. This included grad credits in African-American Studies, Intel to Teach Microsoft, and Blackboard. But as an social studies teacher, instructional technology was simply a means of delivering content - as it should be. I never really thought about it as a new direction in my career. Even after my work with constructing a virtual high school I was still suspicious of social networking and blogging. I thought constructing a website meant learning HTML. WOW!!!
It wasn't until I learned of Classrooms for the Future that I began to see how the hogde-podge of instructional technology that I knew would come together and redefine my career.

The unknown of what direction I wanted my career to go in is being redefined. I found something that really interests me. I enjoy working with teachers to help enhance their instruction and bring them new tools to use in the classroom. I enjoy collaborating with other coaches and teachers. I like being able to coordinate professional development opportunities for teachers. I once thought that administrations as principal was the only place to go in leadership for me. I'm still impacting students educational experiences, but reaching so many more. I play a critical role in curriculum planning.

Now the horizon has expanded and the rising sun is shining on instructional technology.