Hello! My name is Barry Smith. I am a special education teacher who works in the Chicago Public School district. This is my third year with CPS, and my eighth year as a certified special education teacher.
Over the course of my career I have worked as a 1:1 aide for students with autism, as a teacher at a separate day school for students with emotional disabilities, as a part time teacher at the high school I graduated from, at two of the highest performing high schools in the state (and country), and as the department chair for a school that is getting its start. Throughout this time I have loved my job, been stressed out because of my job, and at times hated my job! However, throughout this time I have remained passionate about education, and passionate about doing something that I feel is causing a net positive in the world.
Lately, though I feel like this is starting to change. One of the people that I have come to respect most in education and I had a conversation last week and he said something that summed up how I feel exactly. He said that he left the classroom to join central office because he felt like he was 'going through the motions.' I wonder if this is how I am starting to feel, and that worries me. There is so much that I can still love about education, and there is so much that I feel we can do to support students, but I need people's help.
I am writing this blog as a way to share my ideas, thoughts, and feelings in education in both the most public, and private way, possible. I am relying on you, person who is hopefully reading my blog, to comment, share your ideas, and to help remind me of why I am in education. Right now I don't know where this is going. Everything that I read about starting an education blog said that I should have a direction before I start blogging, but I don't have one right now. I only know that I want to share my professional self with the world and see what I get back. I will worry about the direction this will take me later.
Please feel free to comment, suggest, and to ask questions. I look forward to taking this journey with you!
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