I believe everyone should choose their own path. My path has been winding with many up-hills and downs, but I did it my way (with a lot of help from the people around me). Career-wise, the first decade or so of my educational career was spent working with kids in “front of the desk” teaching predominantly math and social studies, the second decade was spent working “behind the desk” as a middle and high school administrator. Now after three incredible years in the classroom I find myself back in the Principal’s office of a wonderful K-8 school. Being in the classroom has given me such a new perspective that I believe this is something every administrator should do.
Over the past twenty years or so that I have been working in education, many things have changed. However, my belief that students and staff must feel appreciated and cared about before they will appreciate and care about learning and teaching, has not. I have taught a variety of ages, from middle school to college, and spent time as an administrator with elementary, middle, and high school students. I truly love education.
Middle school has been closest to my heart for most of my career, and I have served on a variety of state and regional boards, such as the New England League of Middle Schools, the Vermont Association of Middle Level Education, and the New Hampshire Association for Middle Level Education. I continue to be involved in a variety of middle level organizations, including presenting at conferences, and being the past-president of New Hampshire’s Association for Middle Level Education.
My interests and hobbies have changed much over the years, and while golf, guitar, skiing, biking, and camping still remain close to my heart, most of my free time is spent with my son, Tiernan, and my daughter, Olivia. My family is rounded out by my wonderful wife Colleen (a fantastic middle school teacher) and our dog, Charlie.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Take care.
Chris
Advertisements
Hello Chris!
Good to find you online, married and with two children. Bravo!
I was thinking about the good days with you at Colchester Middle School and decided to look you up.
Cheers!
An old friend,
Stephen York
Stephen!
Hello old friend, it is good to hear from you. It appears that things are well for you, and you are in a really good place professionally. I hope everything else in your life is just as good. Life for me has taken a few turns here and there, mostly favorable (although I miss Vt quite a bit), and I have ended up back in the classroom in a small private school in NH. After a decade of administration it is nice to be reminded about what is important again; the kids.
I hope all is truly well with you and you have a great Thanksgiving holiday. It was nice to get this blast from the past.
Take care,
Chris
Hello Chris,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Catherine and I are happily married and have been so for many years. We live in Stonington, Maine on a beautiful Island off of the coast. http://www.deerisle.com Come and visit sometime with your family. We’re not far from Bar Harbor. It is a fishing village and the largest port for landing lobster in the State.
We moved to the Island when Catherine became principal of the K-8. I taught Life Skills to Exceptional Students at the high school. After six years, she left the school, my program closed, and I got myself elected to the school board.
We founded and direct The New England Institute for Teacher Education. All of our courses and faculty who teach for us are vetted through Endicott College (Beverly, MA) and the State of Maine approves our coursework for initial and recertification.
You and I appear to be on the same page, educationally. Diane Ravitch is an outstanding thinker and historian of education. I see that you follow her blog..
In my spare time, I also serve as the minister of the Methodist Church. I was also invited to be on the adjunct faculty of Plymouth State University in the graduate education department.
Life is good. I hope we can connect in a conversation in the near future.
Warm regards, my friend,
Stephen York
http://www.newenglandinstitute.org