I am thankful for the opportunity to have participated in the Professional Development Project (PDP) process during the 2021-2022 academic year. Back in the fall of 2022, I told my colleagues on my PDP feedback team that I had carefully chosen each of them to ask to participate in this process with me because they each have had a significant impact on some part of my life, both as a professional and as a person. It only made sense to ask them to progress through this experience with me as I continue to learn, grow, and improve.
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| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
Special thanks to:
- Dr. Terry Macaluso, Ph.D.
- The EPS Senior Leadership Team
- My PDP Feedback Team
- Kelly Violette
- Sam Uzwack
- Lisa Frystak
- Steve Fassino
- Kim Eng
- Colleagues and Students who have contributed to or helped with editing and production of this project.
A colleague once remarked to me: “I hope that someday I will love something, anything, as much as you love your job.”
It is true: I love my job. The work I get to do is fulfilling, diverse, and engaging. I appreciate getting to work with amazing colleagues. Some have asked me why I love to work so much, I find that doing my work is rejuvenating in itself, like a self-charging battery. I hope you enjoy reading the following pages where I hope to give you a window into my world. And I wish you a similar level of joy in your own life.
Perspectives and Perceptions
From the very beginning, I viewed the world as our classroom. Be it a gymnasium, a park, a golf course, a boat, a field or an open multipurpose room – it is our approach and experiences that allow us to learn and understand. Making what we have be what we need; and leveraging the spaces and opportunities of the world around us were always strengths. The unique opportunity of teaching without a traditional gymnasium, court or athletic field was beneficial for a variety of reasons, one of which being the unprecedented challenge we would face 15 years later as we encountered the COVID-19 pandemic, which required the world to be our classroom.
I believe it is essential to always keep in mind the small details and the big picture. Our ability to look at a situation through multiple perspectives allows us to strengthen our perception abilities, particularly when one can understand how “small” details that may be initially dismissed can not only impact each other, but the overall picture. In our community, there are many moving pieces across our different departments, functions, and individuals. I always want to be conscious of both the minutia of details as well as the big-picture 30,000 foot view.
When I joined EPS, we were not known for our buildings or our space. Below are some examples of “offices” and “spaces” that have been used over the years – some may perceive them as non-traditional. Now, as our campus has changed over the last 19 years and our buildings and facilities are extraordinary, one thing that has remained steadfast is that our buildings still do not define us.
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| First office (2006) | Office (name plate out of frame) (2007-2015) | EPS PE room / fitness center (2006-2015) | Creative hallway use (2013) | On-campus outdoor space (2014) |
When The Macaluso Academic Collaborative (TMAC) opened in the fall of 2015, some shared how much “easier” my job would become with the addition of the gymnasium. This was a critical point to ensure we continued to view and use the world as our classroom. Teachable moments can happen anywhere. Through iteration, exploration, and a desire to always think creatively, my perception of working space continued to expand.
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| Office on the move (2017) | Bike desk (2019) | Discovery of the walking desk (2019) |
The COVID-19 Pandemic continued to push our definitions of working spaces.
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| Early use of Microsoft Teams (2020) | Remote bike “desk” (2020) | Test teaching from the Annex (Fall 2020) | Working “desk” (Spring 2021) | Hybrid from the Sports Court (Spring 2021) | CTMP Final Presentation (June 2021) | Rolling remote desk on Campus (Winter 2021-2022) |
Through these iterations, the world has always been the classroom. I am only either limited or strengthened by the perspectives and perceptions I choose.
In the process of writing and gathering photographs for this PDP, I am reminded of the moments and milestones of the last 16 years. I recognize I am a better person, teacher and coach because of this incredible community and the opportunity to be here.
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| 2010 | 2012 | 2018 |