This content originally appeared on HackerNoon and was authored by Zachary Flower
In a few short weeks, I will be leaving my job as Director of Engineering "in the industry" and starting a new one as a high school Computer Science and Cybersecurity Instructor.
\ I am equal parts excited and scared shitless—or some other type of scared that is more professional… like…. panicked poopless… concernedly constipated?—so I have been calling this transition my Big Scary Thing™️. Because it is big and scary, but it's also something that excites me and deserves my respect (or at least the capitalization of a proper noun).
\ While I will be teaching at the high school level, what makes this opportunity especially exciting is the focus. The program I have joined is a public career and technical education center specifically for high school students that offers a particularly unique value proposition:
\ For 3 hours a day, Junior and Senior high school students who apply to the program leave their home schools in order to receive a tuition-free education in a trade or career of their interest or choice. From dental assisting to cosmetology to airplane maintenance to graphic design to (you guessed it) computer science and cybersecurity, students have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to kickstart their futures.
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\ As a former student of the exact same program I am taking over (albeit a program I went through 20 years ago), I am deeply grateful that something like it even exists and provides a huge range of career paths for students who may not be able to afford or attend college due to that tricky thing called "life circumstances."
\ The fact that it exists at all is a blessing, and I am honored to be a part of it.
\ To anyone who knows me, a mid-career shift from working as an engineering leader "in-industry" to teaching at the public high school level is probably not all that surprising; mentorship and coaching are the things that I have enjoyed the most in my leadership roles—at this point in my life, they are just about the only things I enjoy in those roles anymore—and a not-insignificant amount of my personal time over the last few years has been dedicated to volunteering with various STEM and Computer Science programs within the state of Colorado.
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\ That said, in many ways, this isn't a new chapter in my life, but an entirely new book. For the first time in my career, I will be working solely for the betterment of others, rather than myself or my employer. I believe in the life-changing possibilities a background in computing offers because college isn't in everyone's future, but a financially secure life can be.
\ It is a profound responsibility; one that I won't be taking lightly.
\ As the new instructor, my goals for the program are going to primarily be career readiness. While it looks good on college applications—and I get to offer college credit to boot—my primary goal will be inspiring a passion for computing, while simultaneously driving industry certifications and internships.
\ My hope is to give my students an opportunity to build their resumes before they even get their high school diplomas.
\ It's going to be a lot to take in, and I know that I will be learning just as much as I am teaching, so I intend to document this (potentially insane) journey from Professional Nerd to Teacher of Professional Nerds. From lesson plans to lessons learned, I hope to build a platform both on and off HackerNoon to help others who are considering making a similar leap of faith in their own careers.
\ It's going to be a journey, and I'm excited to bring the world along with me on it.
This content originally appeared on HackerNoon and was authored by Zachary Flower
Zachary Flower | Sciencx (2024-07-19T22:48:20+00:00) I’m Quitting my Job to Teach High School Computer Science. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/07/19/im-quitting-my-job-to-teach-high-school-computer-science/
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