I Love My Job

Educational Consultant, Graduate Student, and School Trustee

Just the other day, I was texting with a couple of clients about scheduling and rescheduling tutoring times.  I was filled with joy when I realized that these students were advocating for their learning.  This is a fantasy of mine.  They were deciding what they needed to learn and when.  Student advocacy ROCKS!  Best of all, we were communicating in an honest and authentic way via Facebook, text, or in-person.  21st Century Learning at it’s finest.  This is only one aspect of my job.  Aside from tutoring secondary mathematics and chemistry, I give professional development workshops to teachers and give presentations at conferences on my academic work.  I love teaching teachers.  The experience is dialogical, engaging, and transforming.  Teaching teachers directly relates to another aspect of my job… my graduate studies.  What am I researching?  Professional Learning.  Totally crazy or what?  I absolutely love it.  My research is challenges me to assess my professional learning while exploring the learning experiences of other mathematics teachers.  At last, my job as school trustee rounds out my professional learning as graduate student and educational leader.  My studies in educational leadership lends itself to my role in governance.  I am learning more about the public school system from a different perspective and loving it.  Right now, I’m touring several schools in the school district to attend their Christmas Concert or student celebration.  I have a unique opportunity to connect with students, parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, and community members from more than one school.  What’s my main focus?  Student learning.  Love it!  As fragmented my job may seem, all three components seem to interconnect.  Certainly there are times when boundaries are blurred, but all-in-all… I LOVE MY JOB.  It’s been an amazing two years.  Who knows what’s next?  Once my degree is completed and my term as school trustee ceases, it will be another time to reassess.  As long as my job involves teaching, learning, and leading, I’m all good.