First Day of School

Today was the first day of school and it felt different to me.  After 10 years of being a classroom teacher I am assuming a new role as an Instructional Technology Coach.  We are apart of a very wonderful pilot program with Digital Promise and the Verizon Foundation and are one of only 8 schools around the country that are included.  Our middle school students and teachers will be given an iPad to use at school and at home for the next two years.  It will provide an amazing opportunity for many of our students that didn’t have access outside of the classroom.

But I digress, usually the day before school starts I am all wound up with the excitement (and fear) of the new group of students that I will be teaching.  After 10 years there are many students that I know or have taught one of their siblings.  But this year is different, I do not have a classroom of my own, instead I will be working with all of my teachers and will be in every classroom helping, modeling, co-teaching or supporting.  It is very exciting and I am looking forward to all of the great possibilities.  That said, it was a little strange not to have a group of students coming into my room this morning with the curiosity, eagerness and dread that all students feel on the first day.

We started last week with our teacher institute days and I was crazy that week.  I was preparing for our teacher roll out of the iPads and our Digital Promise professional development.  In the past I just show up to those days and take it all in, but now I am on the other side creating the opportunities for our teachers to learn during the PDs. I didn’t catch my breath until Friday night when I was able to slow down for a little bit.

This morning an eighth grader that I taught came up to me and asked, “Mr. Cipinko, are you teaching a “legit” class this year?” From her perspective she isn’t sure what my role is going to be, having a tech coach in the school is a new thing for our district.  I guess we are all going to figure out my role this year and how I can best support my teachers and students; so by next year she won’t ask me what I am doing. She’ll know!

Today though I feel like I am in the “eye of the hurricane” because there is an eerie quiet for me.  The teachers have started with their students and setting up their classroom routines.  We will be starting with Digital Citizenship very soon and getting ready for the student iPad rollout. I foresee the craziness picking up again for me and probably won’t slow down again until the end of the year.  I am looking forward to all of the amazing things that we can accomplish this year!  

Different is good!!!