When I first started teaching, I honestly thought my job was pretty simple, deliver the lessons, keep order in the classroom, and make sure students learned what was in the curriculum. Simple right? But over the past few years especially during the pandemic I realized teaching is way more than that. Suddenly I wasn’t just “the teacher.” I had to be a facilitator, a tech troubleshooter, and sometimes even a co-learner with my students.

What really surprised me was how some of my quietest students, the ones who barely spoke in face-to-face classes, suddenly found their voices online. Through chat boxes, short videos, and creative projects, they shined in ways I never seen before. That really changed how I saw learning. I began to understand that “new learning” isn’t just about tools or platforms, it’s about giving students more than one way to be heard.

For me “new learning” is about balance. It’s keeping the heart of teaching alive, relationships, empathy, creativity, but also being open to whatever new tools and opportunities comes our way. It’s harder work sure, but honestly it makes teaching so much more meaningful.