Do You Still Teach?

I had a dentist appointment yesterday with whom I have known both personally and professionally for many years. His wife, a former teacher, is the receptionist for the business. As I was checking out, she asked, "Do you still teach?"

I get that question a lot. It seems like a simple question with a yes or no answer. But nothing is a simple as it seems. Yes I still teach, but no, I don't teach fourth graders or just children any longer. I am a teacher, an educator, a facilitator of Instructional Technology. Then I get 'The Question', "so what is it that you do?"

On any given day the answer to that question is different. I might be meeting with teachers putting together a unit of study for their students in which technology is integral and not just something fun to do. Another day I might be teaching a whole faculty on how to create an interactive white board lesson. Another day, I might be creating professional development on technology for teachers to complete online anytime, anywhere. Yet another day, I might be in the classroom along side a teacher as we co-teach together again with technology seamlessly included. Yet even another day, I might be meeting with teachers during their PLC time, looking at data and brainstorming ways to help students meet the goals and objectives.

There are days when I miss having my own classroom and my own students, especially at this time of the year. But I believe in what I do and believe that our "teaching" touches many and makes a difference in our students' education.