Wow, it's been a while since I posted a blog. Almost a year. Since then, I had a number of ups and downs. I completed two semesters toward a masters degree. I caught a vision and decided an aspiration of mine is to become a principal, and might mean moving even higher in education... I applied and was accepted to an alternative certification program. I didn't end up placed with the program this year, but went through a fantastic training over the summer. I met some really AMAZING people who are going to change education in Philadelphia. I plan to reapply next year. I was rehired as a teacher by the School District of Philadelphia after four years of being away.
I can guarantee that I am not the same person I was a year ago. While I find much about my current circumstances to be quite similar to this time last year, I am completely different. Each trial and joy I have experienced has deeply and profoundly affected who I am becoming.
I've been inspired over the past couple of days to get back to blogging. I have a lot to say about things that are important to talk about. Facebook can be good, but Facebook can also be inappropriate for the length of some things I say :-) So I'm going to keep this blog, and add to it. I'm likely going to change the name and update the look. But I'll write. About many different things. Things that are important to me and things that I think need to be discussed. I welcome you to read, to disagree, and to comment.
I only ask a few things of you:
Be respectful. In all of my posts, I will work hard to be respectful. I welcome disagreement. I grow by learning from others who have differing perspectives. I only ask that in your disagreement, you are respectful.
Be open to something new. As I post, my words may seem incredibly opinionated (I am generally very opinionated about things that I care about). In my opinionatedness, I try to remain open to learning from a different perspective. I say try because I am not perfect and I am sure that there are times I think I am being open, when in fact I am not. If you feel I am not open, kindly call me out on it. Please make sure you are also remaining open, and I will also call you out on it if you are not.
Engage. Get fired up. Investigate. Meet new people. Comment. While this is very much a place where I want to write my thoughts down, I welcome engagement from others. If I know you, awesome! I'd love to hear from you. If I don't know you, sweet! I want to get to know you and learn from you through your posts.
Many ideas are on my mind. I'll post them separately, but this blog will likely cover a great deal of topics. They may be reactions to things I see in social media, things I see in the news, things that are affecting me personally. My views may be similar to yours. My views may be different from yours. For those who don't know me, this is where I'm coming from:
I am a Christian. I operate from this worldview, but that does not mean I belong in a box with "all other Christians". I know many Christians who agree with me on various topics. I know many more Christians who don't. I also know many people who are not Christians who agree with me on various topics, as well as others who don't. What I do need you to know, however, is that faith very much shapes the way I come at things. This does not mean I expect that you have the same faith or beliefs. I welcome learning from you if you have a different set of faith beliefs or unbeliefs.
I am a teacher in Philadelphia. And it doesn't matter where you come from, where you live, how much money your parent(s)/guardian(s) do or don't make, your abilities or disabilities. ALL children deserve an education that prepares them for college and/or a career. This belief very much shapes my perspective on all things education. Education is one (possibly of many) topic that really gets me fired up. Education matters.
I am white. Many of my closest friends are not. Racism exists, as does white privilege. I know that racism exists because I have lived with people who are quite different from me-socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically, as well as so many other ways. People who are white benefit (intentionally or unintentionally)from the system that is established in our country and people of color are systemically oppressed, excluded, and marginalized. If you disagree, be careful with your words and be respectful, but let me know. That discussion is open. (disclaimer: I fully admit I tend to come at this from the perspective that what I believe is right. Knowing this about myself, I seek to respect that others' experiences have not allowed them to see things as clearly as I, but I also believe that if you are open to seeing things differently, you may see that, at least in part, there is some truth to what I believe and say. Also, feel free to call me out if you think I'm wrong. I need to learn from others about this as much as I want to teach others.)
These are three topics that I feel most passionately about. All of these things are tightly interwoven, at least in my worldview and perspective. Quite often, when I talk about one, the other or others will also come up. Just expect it :-)
So here we are. The end of this post, but beginning of a new chapter in this blog.
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