A New Chapter in My Life

An exciting journey into the unknown

Being involved in education and coaching over the past 20 years has allowed me to learn so many important things about life and teaching. However, it wasn’t until the last four or five years that my life has taken on significantly more meaning as I have come to the realization that teaching is a gift, a privilege, and an honour that should always be embraced. 

Many people have heard or read about of a near death experience that took place in my life a few years back while working in Cambodia. Sharing the story on my blog last year was a difficult thing to do, but I knew that doing so would allow me to help put into perspective why I love doing what I do which is teaching and learning as much as I can about the important things in life. 

The accident gave me the courage and strength to let go of fear and to be the person I was always meant to be. I truly strive to make a difference to those whose paths I have been lucky enough to cross. I love inspiring others to be the best that they can be whether it be a student, a colleague, a friend, a family member, or someone I just met. This is what drives and inspires me to be the best person and educator I can be. 

Blogging and becoming a socially connected educator has been one of the most rewarding journeys I have ever embarked on as it has led to so many incredible learning opportunities, both personally and professionally. As life around us continues to change at an ever-blinding pace, it can never be forgotten that people are the world’s most valuable resource. It is people that matter to me, in particular the young learners of today. 

The greatest gift we can ever bestow upon a young people is to push them on a path that allows them to achieve whatever it is they set their minds to. To give them the tools necessary to help build their confidence, to strengthen their mindset, and be difference makers in a time when the world needs it the most. 

Although I am passionate about teaching young people, I have decided that I am going to embark on a new chapter in my life. My wife, Neila Steele, has been one of my biggest supporters and has made me realize that this is something that I must do. Neila has given me the final push needed to make this dream a reality. 

I have decided that I am going to pursue a full-time career in teacher training. My ultimate desire is to inspire teachers to deliver the best learning experiences possible for the students under their care and guidance and I will strive to do this through writing, consulting, presenting and leading workshops around the world. A long time goal that I never thought I could achieve but now know that I can. 

Over the past few years, I have loved documenting real life experiences of teaching my students and sharing their successes. It has always fired me up to create and share actual assessment strategies that I have developed and use in my classes. It pains me that after June 2015, I will no longer be able to blog about my own teaching anymore, but I will devote my time to blogging about the things that I feel are most important when it comes to teaching practice. 

I will continue to share teaching and assessment ideas with regularity on my blog and truly hope that the readers who have visited my website up until now will continue to support the work that I do. After all, my work has always been about helping teachers get better. In the process of sharing my work, I have also become a much better educator as well.

If my work has meant something to you, I have a simple favor to ask of you. Please share my work, my vision, and and my blog with any educators that you feel will benefit from my philosophy and approach. This is all I ask. Thanks for your continued support and happy teaching to you all. 


_above image used from 
lostinsampa.wordpress.com

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