08/17/2026
Today I was reminded of just how long this journey in education has been.
A former student sent me this yearbook picture from 1996. (Thirty years ago!) I was in my fifth year of teaching, standing in my classroom doing what I absolutely loved to do.
(And apparently, I was doing it with my whole body. š)
Looking at this picture brought back so many memories (90s teachers, did yāall have that fancy Texas Instruments grade book device Iām wearing like a pouch?ā¦ thinking I was all high tech! š)
Before my years in school and district leadership, before consulting, before I knew anything about strategic planning, organizational development, leadership coaching, and all the other chapters my career would eventually include, there was Ms. V, the classroom teacher.
Back then, I had no idea where this career would take me. What I did know was that I loved my students. I loved teaching. I loved watching young people figure things out, discover what they were capable of, and become more confident in themselves. I took that very seriously (while barely 10 years older than my students) and I saw my responsibility as being one of the adults entrusted with helping them grow.
One of the greatest gifts of spending more than three decades in education is that some of those "kids" are now very grown adults, with careers, families, and lives of their ownā¦and somehow, after all these years, we are still connected.
That means more to me than they probably realize.
There are so many ways to measure a career: titles, accomplishments, organizations led, programs built, plans developed, awards, degrees, books, and all the rest. But there is something particularly special about being connected to my former student that reminded me that our lives not only intersected in a classroom, but for a lifetime.
Iāve worn a lot of hats since this picture was taken, but this reminded me that āteacherā will always be one of my favorites.
Shout out to all the teachers and leaders welcoming students this week. Yāall are the real MVPsā¤ļø
