Welcome, #4!

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Mark McCrindle, a social researcher, and futurist states that Gen Z students will have 18 jobs over 6 different careers in their lifetime. This statistic used to shock me as I am of a different generation. For me, I've had one career: education. Within this field I've had 3 distinct jobs: teacher (both K-8 and adults), technology coach, and Regional Educational Technology Coordinator.

Today, I begin job #4: Director of Instructional Technology Coaching. When I moved out of Chicago Public Schools after 25 years I stepped into a newly created role as a RETC. I loved the role and the variety of work, peers, colleagues, and topics I was able to explore. With all of this variety, I found myself continuing to gravitate toward coaches. After all, I had spent the previous 10 years as a technology coach. I hosted, attended, and co-facilitated coaching meetings around the Chicagoland area. During the school closures from COVID-19, I began hosting coaching meetings online. I created documents for coaches such as a reflective journal for coaches and worked with amazing people to create the Return to Learn Playbook and Hour of Code guide for teachers. 

My passion for educating and coaching never left. This past year my organization developed a new role that will advocate for and support instructional technology coaches across the state of Illinois. Today is my first day leading that initiative. I'd say wish me luck but I don't necessarily need it- I've got passion. 

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