I cannot tell you just how happy I am right now. After three very long years serving as a Director of Technology, I am returning to the classroom next year!
Yes, it’s true. I have a job for next year. I will be teaching kindergarten at a brand new charter school in Chicago. It’s going to be at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from my current school, but to be honest I’m really looking forward to that. The school I’m at right now is extremely well funded. The student body is exceptional. Most teachers would laugh at what we consider to be discipline problems. It was a fantastic place to teach, and I absolutely loved the school, but I’m ecstatic to be moving on.
My new school will be around 98% low income. The population will be predominantly African American with some Hispanic students. I know the school has some decent starting funding, but who knows how long that will last. I couldn’t be happier. For the first time in several years, I feel like what I’m going to be doing will be making a difference in someone’s life. I’m going to have the chance to get back to the reasons why I got into education to begin with.
It’s a brand new school. I’m going to get to help design the program from the ground up. We’re going into our first year acknowledging that public education in the inner city has been failing, and we’re going to try to shake things up a little bit. We’re going to be actively questioning the way we educate our students and figuring out new ways to prepare them to succeed in the 21st century. This school is not about doing things the way they’ve always been done. We’re going to be figuring out how we should be doing things in order to best prepare our students for life beyond the classroom.
I’m excited to be able to make use of all this technology I’ve been reading about and writing about for so long in my own classroom. But it’s about so much more than technology. It’s about changing the world one life at a time. It’s about expecting the best for the children preparing them to go after it. It’s about making a difference.
I still hardly know anything about the school. The details are all extremely hazy right now. But my educational journey has really encountered a fascinating turn and it seems to me that the road up ahead looks beautiful.
The summer looks to be pretty crazy. I’m definitely going to be at NECC and Alan November’s Building Learning Communities conference. I may be at a workshop learning about the school’s reading program as well. Between that I need to wrap things up here and get my classroom ready at the new school. And somewhere in between all of those things, I have a bazillion things to blog about and podcast about.
Life is good my friends. Life is very very good.
I’m really happy for you Steve. It sounds like it will be really exciting. I’ve always wanted to work in a charter school.
They are lucky to have you.
Keep us posted.
Tom
Woohoo! Congratulations on the new gig, I’m very happy that you’ve managed to work your way back into a classroom. 
Feel free to steal use any of my art examples as you see fit, but I had better see examples of your students’ work cropping up on your flickr account.
Great Steve,
I’m hoping hoping you can send feedback on how blogs can be used at the Kindergarten level.
I will be working with that concept with our K teacher here. Best of luck to you.
Amy
Congratulations Steve!!! Kindergarten. :O) This should be interesting to watch. I’m a secondary teacher turned technology guy. Explaining technology to the K-3 level has always been difficult for me. Keep blogging your experience and teach all of us along the way.
Congratulations Steve. It sounds like you will be in a position to create a stimulating learning environment for those kids. Keep us up to date on how things develop.
I put out the call for primary students to podcast. My money says your class might be the first kindergarten class to podcast.
Good for you Steve and all the best.
Steve, I echo the congratulations of others, and I welcome you back to the classroom. I wish you all the best as you begin a new program. I’m also looking forward to hearing about what you discover as you go.
6/11/2005
Steve
How many computers will your school have? Certainly with you on board that area will bo maximized. How easy is it to access pictures? Many young children can communicate best in pictures before words. Would that work and if so how? Getting confidence in self expression is the greatest challenge at this age. You know I am a frustrated old ex teacher, so have patience as I throw out my dreams. We all can’t wait to hear about this grand challenge. Best of luck.,
Steve,
Congratulations you have a exciting year and a great challenge ahead of you. Best wishes in your new
adventure.
I will be at Alan November’s Building Learning Communities Conference and look forward to meeting you.
Jim
Congratulations! Can’t wait for the first kindercasts to start flowing through my iPod! Best wishes on the new career –Will
6/12/2005
Hey Steve
Great news! Wishing you the best….
Have you seen the Room208 Podcast site? 3rd graders!!
http://www.Bobsprankle.com
See you at NECC!!
Good work Steve, I know how you feel!
As you are helping to define the new school, don’t forget about the power of a strong library! Have fun in Kindergarten, that has always been my favorite group to teach both in the classroom and the computer lab.
There is only one rule to remember with the little ones…Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.
6/16/2005
Great news!!
I’m sure it will be fun and exciting. I really hope you’ll continue to podcast. I look forward some “Kinder-casts”
Take Care.
Maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of you at NECC. But wait…….I have no idea what you look like…the wonders of podcasting….
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
Flickr/teach42
Myspace/teach42
Facebook/Steve Dembo
Linkedin/teach42
Twitter/teach42
YouTube/teach42
Del.icio.us/teach42
GMail/Steve Dembo
Technorati/teach42
MyBlogLog/teach42
14 Comments