
We initially started this blog in 2012. I was a brand new college professor and this platform became an opportunity for my husband and I to share our thoughts and ideas on education and technology. We took the conversations that we had at the dinner table and put them into this public forum. It was a project that we could share. The last time I posted was in 2014, I had just finished my first year in a tenure track position and was getting ready for the arrival of our third baby. It’s true what they say, three is the hardest number of kids. The long and the short of it is that life has been incredibly busy over the last five years. While Michael has continued to maintain the blog, I have struggled with juggling parenting and full time teaching. Throw in an interstate move, a new job, and some extra teaching jobs on the side, and I just did not have the bandwidth to write.
Things are beginning to settle down a bit (I hope) and I feel the need to start contributing again. Two years ago I started my current position at an awesome institution dedicated to high quality education. They invest heavily in faculty development and provide plenty of opportunities for me to hone my craft as a teacher. I have learned so much and I want to share those ideas with others, so here I am, back in the blogosphere.
Michael got super excited the other day when I told him that I wanted to start writing again. For him, this blog has been a labor of love. We sat down over breakfast, before the kids got up, and talked about the directions we wanted to take things. I am a biology professor and he is a computer programmer. We both naturally lean towards topics in STEM, but we don’t want to limit ourselves to that. We tossed around some ideas, and came up with our new catch phrase:
Inspiring Curiosity through Creative Projects and Exploration
As both a teacher and a parent, it is my hope that I can inspire people to get excited about learning. One of my biggest frustrations is when I encounter a student that sees my class as an obligation for getting a degree and not an opportunity to learn new things. I want to tap in to people’s natural curiosity. With curiosity comes joy in learning and discovery. I want to help people to find awe and wonder in the world around them. I want to use this blog and social media channels to this end. In this world of fear, suspicion and tribalism, I want to encourage others to think outside of themselves and open themselves up to new ideas and perspectives.
I am not sure where this all will lead, but I will leave you with this video that encompasses what I am hoping to achieve. It is of a student seeing Euglena (a microscopic, single celled creature) under the microscope for the first time. The first voice you will hear will be mine, followed by my student’s. I love that I captured this moment, because you can just hear her joy in her laughter. It is more moments like these that I seek.