How I got here: A reflection on 20 years of sharing teaching ideas online

I recently switched podcast from weekly to bi-weekly (every other Sunday) and have being LOVING the new schedule. In fact, it’s worked so well that for the first time EVER, the podcast will continue running throughout the summer months!

Ever since the podcast started in 2015, I’ve taken a break from podcasting during June and July. But this new bi-weekly schedule is a more sustainable approach, and I feel good about powering right through the summer.

So this summer, the podcast will be featuring practical time–saving tips from our upcoming 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit so you can get a sneak peek at some of the ideas fellow teachers are sharing and get lots of practical ideas to use in the new school year.

And, I’m doing a special 3-part podcast series that does a deep dive into my personal story: where I’ve been, where I’m at, and where I’m going. You’re listening to that first installment right now.

That’s because this summer marks TWENTY YEARS since I started my website and began sharing teaching ideas online! 

Listen to the audio below,
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Twenty years ago — in July 2003 — I was about to begin my third year of teaching, and was collaborating with other educators online via message board forums. I took the plunge of learning how to code and built my first website to share what was working in my classroom.

In this three part podcast series over the summer, I’ll share more about how I got from that to where things are at today, along with reflections on how I’ve changed as a person and an educator over the years. I’ll end by sharing what I have planned next, where I see the field of education heading, and what I’m optimistic and hopeful about for all of us.

Some of you have actually been on this journey with me for the entire 20 years I’ve been sharing ideas online, which is just mind-blowing! I think you’ll really enjoy this look back on the previous two deceased together. Others of you have come along more recently, and I hope this podcast series gives you the backstory and context to connect on a deeper level.

I do want to give a content warning here: I will briefly allude to sexual assault, and also talk about some personal topics you’re not used to hearing me discuss, like my personal experiences with trauma created by racism and religion. Tonally this episode will be very different than what you’re used to on the podcast, so make sure you’re listening when you’re in the right headspace for it.

Listen in as I answer the following questions:

• How did your childhood experiences shape the person you’ve become today?
• Why did you always want to be a teacher even though you weren’t a good student yourself?
• You’ve mentioned before that your teenage years were rough–what happened? 
• What was your college experience like, and how did you get your first job as a teacher?
• What happened when you started feeling burned out and decided to change grade levels?
• How did you get started sharing ideas online?
• Why did you relocate and transition to instructional coaching and working for BrainPOP?
• How do you process your legacy among the very first wave of educators in the early 2000s to share their resources online?