Ready to take over the world!

The good news is that my new job is in the location that my wife and I want to move to. The bad news is that it takes me between 60-90 minutes to get there right now by train. However that gives me plenty of time to catch up on my reading, listen to a few podcasts, get a little work done and everybody’s favorite choice, fall back asleep!

This morning I’ll be starting my second day on the job and I have to say I feel more alive than I have in months. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the classroom and I loved teaching. However, I don’t think I quite realized just how much of a disconnect I was experiencing, how isolated I really felt. Teaching is a really unique profession in that you’re surrounded by people all day long and yet more often than not you’re also completely isolated from the rest of the world. It’s a very solitary profession. What exacerbated the problem was that I didn’t have a connection to the rest of the world (internet) in my own classroom and because of time constraints and pressures, I cut off that connection in the evenings.

Yesterday, I reopened those lines of communication. The flood of emails nothing less than astonishing. And the best thing about it is that I’m reconnecting with people and getting their feedback and ideas. I’ve subscribed to three new podcasts and have a slew of things to think about (and possibly blog about) just from listening to them. Pure and simple, I feel connected.

I think that’s one thing that really pumps me up about the new job. The motto at the Discovery Educator Network website really encapsulates it, “Connecting teachers to their most valuable resource… each other.” Think about that one for a little bit. Isn’t that why people love blogs and podcasts so much? Lesson plan databases, message boards, education links of the day, and so on… It’s all about building connections.

In the immortal words of James Brown, “I feel good.” Real good.

4 Comments

Anne Davis
11/9/2005

Hey, it is so good to have you back in the mix! I wish you the best in all your endeavors! I have that 60 minute drive also but it really is an opportunity to catch up on all types of learning! Unfortunately I drive so no sleeping for me! Good to have you back in the blogspshere!
Anne