Where am I and Why am I Here?

In late 2016, my first and most influential teaching partner, Loni, emailed me and asked me if I wanted to work in Denmark for a few months. She was going on maternity leave and her company was looking for someone support them while she was out. I’ve had other possible job opportunities overseas but I’ve never been requested and never by someone as talented and smart as Loni. We worked together for two years and she has seen me at my best and at my worst so the recommendation felt grounded in substance. My need for affirmation might be a character flaw sometimes but a certain level of insecurity has often served me well. Anyway, beside the possibility of working in a new country doing a new and exciting things, it felt really good to be asked and to be valued by someone whose work ethic and talent I admire.

Additionally,  I was in a position where I could say yes. This year marked the first year in a long time where I was not also in graduate school or too absorbed in the lessons of teaching, learning and questions about education generally to pause and say hmmm…maybe. Not that the big questions of education were not fascinating but I was looking at them from a different perspective. I had/have an intern this year. And I worked a lot with my own teaching mentor to figure out how to be a good mentor myself. On balance, I have been. That role and the success I’ve had with it, as well as the success I’ve had in building cohesion amongst our math group opened my mind to other ways to be of service in education. So I said yes, and my director supported my decision. I took the leap and it’s been amazing!

So, here I am in Sønderborg a coastal town in the very south of Denmark. 

The project I am working on is focused on, amongst other goals,  enhancing science and engineering education in Denmark. The foundation partners with selected schools and provides training, resources and support along the way. Success is measured through a number of different metrics. The tools include nationalized exams but also things like whether more students are expressing an interest in science and engineering careers as well as choosing science and engineering paths when offered.

The transformation model is broad and ambitious. It includes everything from physical modifications of the spaces, to changing the traditional class model, to helping build cultural supports to further the program’s larger goals. One core change is a switch to a project based education model. This approach is modeled after schools like High Tech High and other successful PBL schools but also has elements that are unique. 

I have plenty to do but I’m learning a lot and working with very bright people. I’m grateful for the opportunity and proud that I’ve taken the leap.