All new HI Product Launch!
Many years in the software industry drilled into my head the importance of a product launch.?As we send another graduating class of 8th graders out toward their next academic adventure, and the great wide world outside our school, it occurs to me that there is some similarity with a product launch.?Our school mission includes the phrase "inspire children to become the saints of the future" which seems equally aspirational to some of the Big Tech catchphrases I have heard over the years.?And with three full years of development investment, we have VERY high hopes for what these young dynamos can achieve.?Of course, we are not talking about an Artificial Intelligence (AI) offering here, we are launching Human Intelligence (HI) into the world. Fortunately, unlike AI, graduating 8th graders come with no warning from experts about their threat to humanity. ;-)
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As I finish my third year teaching middle schoolers, I am reminded of the advice I received from veteran teachers.?In Year One, you simply try to survive.?Year Two allows you to begin correcting all the mistakes you made in Year One.?And by Year Three, you finally hit your stride.?That is probably true for many different types of roles, but it certainly has proven true for teaching.?I really enjoy the relationships I have been able to build with a wide variety of students and continue to learn a great deal while assisting them in contextualizing History.?
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When I decided to make a major career change, I was motivated to make some small ripple in a growing sea of polarization in our country.?I do not aim to teach students WHAT to think about history or current events, but the importance of developing their minds and THINKING for themselves.?Thomas Jefferson's warning comes up often in class, "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”
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Year Three has given me much to reflect on, but fortunately I have the next 12 weeks to distill and absorb those lessons.?SCHOOL'S OUT - wishing you a WONDERFUL summer!
Enjoyed the post. Likening 8th grade to a product launch is a reminder that we think our circumstances are unique and you find out they are not.
Great post Damon! I wish that I had you as a teacher/role-model in 8th grade, your students will look back to understand what a great impact that you had on their lives. Thank you for making a difference!
Information Technology Project Manager at HealthPartners
1 年Thanks for posting. It was great to read! We feel so fortunate our daughter had you in your “first three “ years at Nativity!! You make a difference.