Professional Growth is a Good Thing...Unless You are in Education
Ominous title? It is. But it's something that has been on my mind lately. I've spent my entire career in education in the Chicago Public School system. I spent the first 15 years as a fourth grade teacher and the next 10 as an instructional technology coach. I've achieved and grown tremendously during that time. When I began in the classroom it was tough- here I was fresh out of school dealing with a challenging population in the inner city. As is normal for any teacher there were great days and not-so-great days. Early on I knew if I was going to stay in that learning space I needed to find ways to not only challenge myself but to engage my students as well. I attended graduate school early in my career because the experience came along at the right time. I wrote multiple grants to purchase materials that would interest my students (and me). I did action research on my practice. I gained National Board certification. I learned as much as I could about my craft. When th...