Every new beginning ...

Moving on is hard. Change is hard. Leaving is hard. I am someone who enjoys consistency and a sense of familiarity. I like digging into someone, growing roots, so that whatever I am doing, where I am, whoever I am with, means something. I become socially, emotionally, and even physically invested with my whole being. 

For the past seven years, I have been growing my roots deep in Green Brook Township Public Schools, first as a teacher and the last two as Technology Coordinator and Supervisor of Instruction. These roots have dug deep as I have had the chance to personally teach over 500 students in that time, work with nearly 100 teachers, help improve the learning and education of nearly 1000 students and be involved in a fantastic small community. I have gone through many life changes here that I will never forget - marriage, home ownership, the arrival of my two children, rescuing a few pets along the way, finding out I wasn't that good at soccer (you get the picture). 

As the start of school is right around the corner, I cannot help but think about new beginnings, fresh starts, and the eagerness that I know I hold dear to my heart about this time of year and the good feelings it brings along with it. I think about new teachers, new students, and returning educators and the excitement they bring each and every day.

I am excited to start the school year off with my Green Brook family one last time but it is bittersweet knowing that it is my last one. Writing an email to my Green Brook family to let them know I has resigned as Supervisor of Instruction and Technology to accept a position in Princeton Public Schools as a Supervisor of Social Studies and Global Education was, and will always be, the hardest task I have had to do in my years there. 

I don't like saying goodbye - I don't like "uprooting" or "removing" my roots. I am thinking of this as a chance to plant new roots, but never forgetting to water my old ones as well. My family in Green Brook will never, ever, leave my heart and mind. I have made some near and dear friends that will be with me the rest of my life. 

New beginnings happen because something ended – it’s like that band Semisonic’s line “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”

Thank you, Green Brook for the journey we took together, through all the ups, downs, laughs, and cries we shared together. 

So while this journey may be coming to an end, I am excited to start a new one in Princeton Public Schools come this October. 

Timothy J. Charleston

What a year! 2013 in Review

What a year it has been, huh? From going to my first #edcamps to wearing a pair of Glass, this year in edtech has been something of a whirlwind. It all started last January at the annual Techspo presentation, where I was able to present and meet some great folks, including +Jeffrey Bradbury. I will be presenting again this year and I can't wait to see how that helps me kick off 2014 with a bang. 

I want to thank all of those who made a difference in my life this year and helped me grow as a educator and a person. Even though I was on Twitter for a few years, this year took it to a whole other level. Never in my life did I think that I could make friends, colleagues, and compatriots on the twitter-verse, but I did and many of them I can truly call friends now. Heck, I even ran a 5K with some of my #njed friends, most of whom I had never met face-to-face before. 

To cap off the year, I was promoted to Supervisor of Instruction in my district! A honor and one that is certainly humbling. While my primary mission to serve our district with the best technology will not change, my aim and focus will become more precise. I will work even more with my teachers and students! That is something I can't wait for! I will be able to visit even MORE classrooms. 2014 is shaping up to be a pretty good year so far. 

As for resolutions, I resolve to follow my mantra:

Be attentive, vocal, and present. Be willing to be there for those who need you. Help in any way you can. 

Be an #agentofchange in anything that you do.