This is my first week back at work after my maternity leave. Although it’s hard to leave him at home, it was reaffirming to be welcomed back and know that I’m in the right place. I love my job.
Today, I was asked to speak to 6th and 7th grade parents during their breakout sessions about technology. I wanted to reestablish our connection, reiterate my tenets, and invite conversation.
My main points:
- My role is to support student learning and healthy growth for our kids, i.e. the school mission. This includes managing the hardware and making sure it all works + managing the use by students, teachers, and parents.
- My three tenets that I always come back to are: Build a Common Culture, Stay Informed, and Start the Conversation.
- I am the parents’ tech coordinator too – when they call or stop by to ask questions, it keeps me informed and helps us all troubleshoot together.
I definitely see parenting differently now. I look at my son, who is just beginning to reach for toys, and wonder when he’ll be reaching for the iPad, and think about all these hard conversations that we have in store. I hope I can be as calm and rational as a parent as I can be as a tech coordinator.
Julie Kallio, PhD 