“Mr. Cipinko, are you teaching a “legit” class this year?”

My first Week and New Role

The first week of school is over and was very hectic.  I am trying to define my new role within our school. This is a new role for our school and district by having a tech coach in just a single building.  Our district has math and reading coaches that work across multiple schools, so being in one building is a privilege.

I feel lucky to be in my school working with the teachers that I have known for 10 years. Even before I became the tech coach many teachers asked for my help with technology.  It has made the transition easier for both of us.  My teachers are very comfortable asking me for help or with me walking into their classrooms and being apart of their team meetings.

I am still thinking about the comment that one of my eight graders said to me on the first day of school; “Mr. Cipinko, are you teaching a “legit” class this year?”

The first couple of days I found it strange not having a classroom and having kids come to me.  That feeling is passing now that I am immersed in my new position.  I have been very busy this week with multiple projects.  Since we are apart of Digital Promise’s 1:1 initiative I have been in constant contact with Krista Moroder, Jim Beeler and Marco Torres from DP; and the other coaches around the country from the eight schools that are participating in this pilot program.  We are working together on creative ideas and solutions to help our teachers, parents and students with the rollout of 1:1 technology.

Here I am talking with other coaches around the country!

The second part of this job has been working with my counterpart, Regina Colquitt at Chute Middle School in Evanston, she is “the me” at Chute.  We are the two Midwestern schools in this pilot. Along with Patty Tzortzis, who is our districts’ Instructional Technology Coordinator, we are working together with the district to create Pd for our teachers and parents so they will be ready when the students get their iPads.

The third part of my job, and the most important, is working with my teachers to help them understand the possibilities that technology can do in and out of their classroom.  I have been meeting with every team and talking to the teachers about what they want technology to look like in your classroom.  Many teachers have come to me with questions and ideas and I am trying to work with them to figure out solutions to fit their needs and goals.

So maybe I don’t have a “legit” class in the traditional sense of the word. But I do feel that I will be apart of all of the students education.  To me, that makes my job legit!