If I had been asked three years ago if I would be teaching adults, I would have replied with an emphatic no! If you had asked me three years ago if I would ever work for a media company, my reply would have been an even more emphatic NO! I hate getting my picture taken and I hate being the center of attention. I never intended to leave the classroom. I was passionate about teaching children and I loved what I did. I figured I would be dragged out of the classroom kicking and screaming at the ripe old age of 90. But our lives have a way of taking turns we don’t expect, and now, three years later, here I am, working for Idaho Public Television and teaching teachers. Looking back now, I can see how I was preparing for this all along. As a tech nerd with a passion for integrating technology in the classroom, I had become sort of a “tech guru” at my school by default and I had began training teachers district wide on various types of technology. In that capacity, I began discover a new love and passion...teaching teachers how to implement technology. Four years ago I became a foster parent and my life was changed forever. Before that, my entire life had been teaching. I would stay at school until 6 or 7 most nights and often spend a good part of the day there on Saturday. I would enter the classroom each morning and smell the residual scent from the dry erase markers and see the desks with the carefully written names on them, and I would think, “This is right where I belong.” I poured my heart and soul into that classroom and those students. But when I become a mom, something changed for me. Suddenly, I couldn’t give as much to the students and I certainly couldn’t stay at work until 6 or 7pm. I had kids at home that needed me, just like the ones at school. I could feel something change for me. My heart wasn’t in it as much as it used to be. Two years later, I decided that I would adopt and it was then that I really began to evaluate my life. As a single mother, I knew that I couldn’t support a child on a teachers salary. It’s a sad reality of the profession, and even more sad that Idaho ranks among the states that pay the lowest teacher salaries. I also knew that I couldn’t give my all to teaching like I once had and that my son would need a mother who was present and available, not one who was always thinking about her students and the lesson she had to teach the next day. So I began to explore options outside of education, because I knew I wouldn’t find a job making enough to support my family if I stayed. One night, while looking for jobs on job service I came across the job posting for Teacher Ambassador for Idaho Public Television. Among the list of traits the applicant should possess were “tech savvy” and “ability to train teachers” among other things. As I read the job description I remember thinking, “This job was totally created for me!” The application window closed the next day, so after some thought and discussion with family, since it would require a move, I submitted my resume the next day and thus began my journey out of the classroom and into a whole new world. A world where teachers are respected and valued, and even put on a pedestal at times. A world where education is at the center of everything. An amazing world where I never imagined I would fit, and yet, I LOVE it. I often tell people that I have the best of both worlds; I still get to visit classrooms and teach students and I get to help teachers learn how to integrate technology. My passion for working with teachers has grown exponentially in recent years and I wake up in the morning feeling energized and empowered to make a difference in the world! Life leads us down some unexpected paths and maybe someday my path will lead back to the classroom, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying the scenery and loving every moment of this ride!
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Kari WardleTech nerd, Educator, Mother, and Public Media Employee ArchivesCategories |