I hit the home office at 6 AM after a restless night, freshly-brewed
coffee in hand. Mondays are always chock full of "needs" for a
virtual teaching staff. Loading students into classes behind the scenes,
discovering tech systems are slowed by weekend uploads, usernames that are lost
or twisted, cries for Excel spreadsheets and data banks that help
teachers see how classrooms and students are doing. A normal day in the virtual
school.
Now, it is 12 hours later and I am just winding down, having
kept the upward-rising email stack at least even, but wishing I had made a dent
in other important things on my "to do" list. At this point in my
career, nothing is more important than the ability of my teams to make a
difference. That means using my expertise to troubleshoot just about everything
imaginable in a virtual school. No two days, no two hours, are ever alike and
as long as I keep questions aligned with the people who ask them -it is a
productive and fulfilling place to be.
I liken this role to the Wizard of Oz at times. Since the opening
day of the charter virtual school, I have been troubleshooting the systems,
creatively imparting sound educational standards using ever-improving and
futuristic online tools. I respect the system; I respect academia; but most of
all, I respect the pioneering teachers who have stepped out to embrace a
teaching approach that still meets resistance. Respect has been slow in coming,
but these teachers have had my respect from day one. I am privileged to stand
beside them, ever and always.
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