Sunday, June 03, 2018

Retired

If there is anyone out there who is still subscribed to this blog via RSS, which may be unlikely given the dearth of posts in the last year or two, this is just a heads up that I retired from teaching last week so there will likely be no further posts on this blog. I suppose it's possible I will get inspired to write some more about education, or even find an encore job related to education that gives me fodder to write some more here, but I wouldn't count on it.

Thanks for all the learning on this blog over the years, and thanks for all the retirement well wishes I've received via Twitter. After 31 years of teaching (and being Director of Technology at AHS for most of those as well), I felt like I was no longer contributing as much to my school as I wanted to. I didn't feel like I was adding that much value, nor was I learning that much myself, so I felt like it was time.

For those who have asked "what's next?", my immediate plans are to help my (aging) parents and to get my daughter to Fort Lewis College and be available to support her during her freshmen year if she needs it. After that, we'll see. I have lots of interests that I might choose to pursue, either in a volunteer or paid capacity. particularly in the area of sustainability (if you're interested in hiring me, here's a resume I made as an example for my web design students). In the meantime I'm still offering free financial advice to Colorado educators and I hope to start blogging there more often around financial topics.

Thanks for letting me process and think out loud here over the last 13 years, and thanks for helping me become a better teacher and person.


10 comments:

  1. So long, and thanks for all the fis(c)h.

    Congratulations! In my experience, changing work directions (I can't call it "retirement") can be incredibly rewarding, though it is definitely an adjustment.

    I will look forward to hearing about your next adventures. And don't forget that you're always welcome for a visit here (though I suspect you'll be busier than ever now :).

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  2. Karl - you have been an inspiration to me over the years, primarily through social media (although I think we may have met briefly in person at ISTE in Denver). If you choose to continue reflecting in this space (and I hope you do!), I will be here to read it.

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  3. Congratulations!! Happy retirement! Thanks for sharing all that you have over the years—I’ve learned a lot from you and this blog:-)

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  4. Congratulations, Karl! I hope retirement offers you many opportunities for learning and leading in ways you'll enjoy.

    Just a quick aside, Tim Stahmer retired a couple of years ago and now writes even more frequently on his blog. I'm holding out hope...

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  5. Congratulations, and all the best in everything you do!
    G

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  6. The Fischbowl was one of the few blogs in my aggregator at the time I was beginning to push the 4 walls of my classroom. Then the "Did you know?" catalyst propelled me into the role of facilitator for a technology learning group for my school. I retired myself just last year, but I know I was a better teacher because of people like you who unselfishly gave and purposefully made their learning public. Thank you sir and good voyage.

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  7. Karl - I understand your decision to retire from working as a full-time high school teacher and technology director, but I don't think you'll ever stop being a thought leader on many topics. So proud to call you my friend!

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  8. Have loved, and learned a lot from, The Fischbowl. Wishing you and your family all the very best.

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  9. Thanks Karl for "thinking out loud" and letting us be a part of your journey. I also retired in June from my role in EdTech but I still manage to work part-time in education. I Googled you today to look for something you published a while ago, which still is relevant. (Don't know if that is good or bad..)

    You will be missed!

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