“Who is this guy, and why is he here?”  This is item number one on my Back to School Night agenda each year.  I know, it’s a funny time to be thinking about the beginning of a new school year, but the question has been popping into my mind lately.  This question is high on my agenda because I think it’s why parents show up to Back to School Night in the first place.  As a parent, it’s the only thing I want to know as I meet my child’s teacher for the first time.  Since I am a recovering accountant with about 9 years of business experience, I want the parents of my students to know that I bring a different set of experiences than they might be used to.  Not better, just different.

I have now been teaching for 17 years, and every few years I start to ask myself the questions.  Who am I and why am I here?  Should I be here?  When the voices in my head begin to ask these questions so often that I can no longer ignore them, I begin to consider the answers.  The questions led me to take a graduate class entitled, “Teacher Practice in a Connected World.”  After 17 years, am I “connected?”  This is a great question for all teachers to ponder every once in a while, especially given the dizzying array of responsibilities heaped on educators.

The first idea the course has focused on is the fact that teaching is often an isolated profession.  Can isolated teachers be connected?  Do I teach in isolation?  Like the clichéd layers of an onion, the more I read about connected teachers, the more layers of questions I have for myself.

One thing that can connect anyone to new and different ideas is a mentor.  As an accountant and a teacher, I have always sought connection with a mentor.  To me, it feels a little like cheating.  If I find someone I respect who is knowledgeable, positive, and friendly, I will put myself in the best possible environment to feel challenged, supported, and, best of all, lead.

I have many mentors and role models among the amazing teachers in my elementary school.  The most influential mentor I’ve had as an educator is my current principal.  I may be old fashioned in my thinking, but I believe school principals should love and excel at teaching first.  In the world outside education, with good reason, that’s how things often work.  Good engineers get promoted to lead other engineers.  Things don’t always work the same way in education because to become an administrator, one must first be “certified.”  That significantly narrows the pool of potential principals who have also been excellent teachers, which is a shame in my opinion.  I’ve been pretty lucky regarding those who’ve become leaders in the schools in which I have worked.

My mentor always has time to talk about teaching.  I’ve never asked, but I’m pretty sure his goal in becoming an administrator was to have access to an entire school of teachers to talk with about teaching.  Just about every conversation I’ve had with this person about teaching has gone on until one of us absolutely had to go to another appointment.  I know others in my school have had a similar experience.

Wharton Business School professor Adam Grant talks a lot about “givers” and “takers.”  Mentors, or givers, are people who impart their knowledge with enthusiasm.  Like Adam Grant suggests, as a mentor, it’s also important to realize when you don’t have expertise and find ways to connect people who can support each other.  My mentor is such a person.  Through my journey with National Board Certification, becoming a writing fellow through the Pennsylvania Writing and Literacy Project, identifying helpful resources, or simply working on a professional goal, my mentor has made a material difference in my professional journey.  I am fortunate to be connected to this educator.

So, who am I?

As I reflect, I’m not sure I know the answer.  What I do know is that I am lucky to be connected with so many amazing educators that continue to influence my practice every day.  I am lucky to feel lead.  Who I am as a teacher is the product of those I’ve allowed to influence me.  I’m learning what it means to be “connected.”  In some ways, I’m realizing that I meet the definition of a connected teacher, and in some ways, I’m realizing that I need to notice the opportunities I have every day to more fully connect with the colleagues I see daily and the other outstanding educators I can meet through literature and technology.  An obvious benefit, that I often overlook, is the warm sense of community this brings.  There are many givers in this community.  It feels good to realize they are so close, when I didn’t even realize they were there at all.