Earlier this week I handed in my resignation letter to my Head of School, Dr. Gerrtiz. It’s funny the two responses I’ve been getting.
Those who know me well and understand the international teaching world knew this was probably coming soon. I mean I’ve been here for four years…in Jeff’s world that is an eternity. In fact these four years are the longest I’ve held a job at the same institution ever….as in….ever in my life.
I want to get lost by Xabier.M
Those who don’t know me very well or the way international teaching works are wondering why I would resign from a job that I’m perfectly happy at during a time when educators are being let go left and right in the States. I have to say that’s a good question….a really good question.
The answer is I’m ready for something new….something different…..as I wrote about four years ago after resigning from Shanghai American School and eventually ending up at ISB.
But this time I think my something different won’t includie working full time in a school. Not ruling out any options at this point but there are so many things I want to do that don’t include working full time in a school. There are so many teachers, so many students around the world that need support in the changes that are happening in education because of technology that I’m finding my passion leading me in that direction more and more.
The COETAIL program that was started at ISB and has now spread through the Asia region continues to grow. Currently there are about 125 educators enrolled in the program in 5 different cohorts. With e-mails coming in almost daily now of people asking how they can join, I want to be able to support these teachers and their students. If you take the rough estimate class size of 20 (class sizes are typically smaller at International Schools) then we’re effecting the education of some 2,500 students. That excites me and I want to dedicate more time to the program and to the teachers in it.
Google Apps in schools continues to take off as well around the world. I believe at this moment in time it’s the best set of tools out there for educational institutions and organizations as a whole. I want to help them learn the full potential of these collaborative tools.
There are all the workshops and presentations I’ve been giving over the past couple of years that have fueled my passion and my thoughts. I simply enjoy learning with others.
I’ve been doing all of this while also working full time at ISB. Living a crazy life that has left little time for family and friends. I’m out of balance at the moment working harder than I’m playing….and that’s not good.
There is also all the stuff I haven’t been able to do that I really would like the time to work on.
I want to start podcasting again….I miss the conversations.
I want to write more. Reach needs updating and there’s two other books in my brain that need to find their way out in some form or another.
I want to spend more time with you….the readers of this blog and my network at large. The last two years my contributions to the greater educational conversation aren’t what they should be and I need to give more back to the network that has given to me so freely and openly.
In the end….I have no idea where I’ll end up, what I’ll be doing. Which is both completely scary and completely exciting.
I do know one thing for certain though. No matter what happens, what’s next for me in life, I know my social-network will play a large part in defining that for me. That’s how I ended up here at ISB (Thank you Dennis, Kim and Justin) in the first place.
So I turn myself over to you social-network. The human connections that make this world the amazing place it is in helping me define what’s next for me.
More to come as the next chapter unfolds.
