And so it begins....

This past week I began a new chapter in my life.  I have uprooted our lives in Texas and moved us to southern Alabama to teach and conduct research in higher education.  Even though this isn't my first time in higher ed, I wasn't sure what to expect.  And my expectations were more than met.  In fact, I was blown away.  My students are articulate and dedicated and bright.  After years as a public school administrator, I have finally begun to unearth that spark I once felt as a classroom teacher.  I want to do well for my students - I want to challenge them - I want them to evolve.  But most of all, I look forward to watching them grow into teachers.  In one of my classes this week, I told my students that teaching someone to read could quite possibly be the most powerful thing one can do for another.  I realized by Friday that I had misinformed them.  Shaping one into a teacher - a quality teacher - is the most powerful thing one can do for another.