One year ago, my book, Thinking About Teaching, was born! I am so honored to be a published author! I cannot believe that my writing and my thoughts are part of the "world" now!
I wanted to share my story, and inspire others. I also wanted to tell the tale of my teaching career from the beginning, the middle, and the end of Act 1.
I wanted to share with the world the joys, the challenges, and the realities of teaching. I wanted to help people at the beginning of their career understand the challenges. I wanted people in the middle of their careers to see commonalities that others faced. I wanted interested people to share my book with others, to #changethenarrative.
My book has chapters on the best and worst lesson I ever taught. The reflection has helped me understand my experiences as a professional. We start teaching in different places of our life's journey. We end it having done noble work.
The book helped me to remember fondly, and cringe-worthy events. The act of writing, reflecting, has, as an exercise, allowed me the privilege to reflect upon, to grow upon, and to regret upon what I did, what I did not do, and what I could have done better.
The book also gave me a chance to apologize to my students for my youth, and ignorance in helping them learn to grow, especially in content and assessment-driven lands of post No Child Left Behind.
The chapters gave me a new connection with my experience and my world, and what in the end was most important to know, every voice has a story. Every story must be told. Every story has a valuable place in our collective narrative.
I am truly honored to have shared my story as a teacher with the world. I am blessed that the team, Dr. Sarah, Mandy, and Melody, of Edumatch Publishing took a wild and crazy chance on me.
I believe that narrative, reflection, and most importantly public writing is key in our world. We must use our platforms to "lift every voice" and build bridges.
I am an educator at heart. I teach to enact the belief that every person is a gem, and has a role in our world. I believe that every child, adult, college student, and experienced adult shares valuable insight, experience, and deserves an opportunity to tell their tale. I am so fortunate my tale made it to paper!
I believe that my students inspired me, my mentors guided me, Mom and Dad, and my family loved me, and my wife, Elizabeth, cheered me on.
You readers, deserve thanks for allowing me to share my insights of the world with you!
Thank you for an amazing year 1!
Dr. Casey Jakubowski
Twitter: @caseyj_edu
Wordpress: https://caseytjakubowski.wordpress.com/
Casey Thomas Jakubowski, Ph.D. is a 20-year educator, consultant, and leader in the world of improvement practice. Writing on rural education, Casey has presented internationally, nationally, regionally, and locally. A student of history, sociology, geography, STEM, and innovation, with a unique career characterizes, Casey holds firm the Servant Leadership model. He is a national, regional, state, and local award-winning mentor, author, and presenter in the areas of Civic Education, Community Service, Volunteer Leadership, and innovation. He is the owner of CTJ Solutions, LLC, and the Chief Innovation Officer of Greenstone Consulting, LLC. Academically, Casey has served as an adjunct, Associate Director, and Department Chair at a range of institutions.
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