Welcome to the Healthy Teacher

So here we are.

I've created this blog for two primary reasons (and with two different personal perspectives). One element of this blog is personal. After teaching and coaching for 12 years (high school English), I still identify myself as a teacher in my thinking and my life in general.

Professionally, I'm on a leave of absence from teaching and now working at Search Institute, a Minneapolis based non-profit that does youth development work. My official title is "Education Liaison," which means that if we're doing work with, for, or around schools I try to involve myself.

Specifically, I'm developing a new branch of thinking for Search. Since almost all efforts being made in the name of supporting youth usually use schools as conduits, I came to Search asking what they were doing specifically for teachers. One of our best selling books is titled Great Places to Learn. I asked the question: What are we doing to make sure that we create great places to TEACH?

Search agreed that seeking an answer to this question was worthy of our time and efforts. And thus my project was born. I now spend my days researching teaching and teachers, talking with educators, reading, following stories about education in the media, and generally getting my head around the issues and policies that affect teachers and their job/life satisfaction.

On this blog I'll share stories from my work, current research, glimpses of what I'm developing, links to stories about education, and general musings. I hope you find this site informative, perhaps humorous, maybe inspiring, and at the very least - current. Selfishly, I look forward to gathering stories and input from you. Whether you're a teacher or someone involved with schools, the more I know, the better.

With that in mind, I encourage you to read this story about this year's Teacher of the Year winner. Those are some lucky students!