Tomorrow marks the start of another school year, and for the first time in 5 years I’m heading back to a classroom. I made the decision last year to not return to my role as a consultant in our school board. There was a few factors that played into the choice, most notably the arrival of Andrew in our family. Other factors included being tired of the distance to get to the office when we had purposefully chosen to build our home 7 years ago in-town. I now have 3.4 km one way to school, when it was 86 km to the board office. Crazy. It feels like I get 2hrs of my life back everyday.
Over the summer, I had more than a few people give me odd reactions to the news that I was returning to a classroom. The most common was to ask me if it was my choice? I’m not sure what I was supposed to answer to that. It was my choice, but is it one that people aren’t expected to make? Do not many folks move from those central board-level positions go back to where they can actually interact with students on a daily basis and, ya know, teach? I know of several who have. Granted, there are others that move on to administration positions as well. But there was enough people who gave me the same reaction, that I noticed it as a trend. Odd.
At any rate, I’m back in the classroom, have a great timetable that I was totally not expecting to get, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the year will bring. Lots of ideas of things to try out in the class are in my head, and I think the biggest thing will be trying to decide how to narrow down those ideas to make it manageable. Small steps to start I suppose, but I’m excited to be getting back to the science classroom. Hopefully my Jedi teaching powers are still intact…
My classroom awaits!
@colinjagoe.com 
I too returned to the classroom after my role as a curriculum consultant. I experienced the same type of reactions. I got the feeling some thought it was a step down, but I saw it as a time to put all of the amazing knowledge into action. I love being in the classroom learning alongside my students. I wish you the best as you start the next chapter in your career.
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Thanks Angie! Yours is exactly the kind of experience I’m hoping to emulate!
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I loved getting back to students and a school after 18 years as a curriculum dude and so on. I got to test out lots that I had been advocating and encouraging. It was also a rude awakening for me as a number of the kids didn’t want project-based learning – they didn’t want all that responsibility! LOL They just wanted a more traditional approach. 🙂 They’d learned that game already – and it was less work for them. (Not that I agree with their decision — BUT, I had to respect it – and I did. If I really want kids to have agency, then I have to cave in!)
Others thought I was taking a step down – well, it upped MY game.
All the best Colin!
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Thanks Peter, I wonder about the kids who have figured out the ‘game’ of education, and how they will respond when someone changes the rules a bit, as I hope to do. Guess I will find out what happens soon! 🙂
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