My time this summer at Cotton Inc. has brought about some new things learned in my life, though the shocker is that it is the result of being cooped up given a great opportunity to have my own desk and office, without any minions from Hades students nearby. As I continued to sit at my desk this summer and reflect on my teaching opportunities I have and continue to be blessed with, I began honestly contemplating how to translate these meaningful experiences into a traditional school.

Being at a charter school has been both the blessing and curse in my life. The blessing, that I have this amazing chance to not silo myself into a neat category and say: “I teach X,” and feeling the constraints of maps and schemings that the county has given me, and staying within pacing guides that aren’t always the most helpful. The curse: that I have this wonderful classroom and curriculum that I have designed, but cannot share in the joy of that experience with those outside of the sidelines of my school.

My time at Cotton Inc., has forced upon me a new way to consider these things, though. As I went into this internship this summer, I went in with the mindset of knowing that I and others in my school were going to be able to create a unique learning experience for students. As I delved deep into the humidity of our NC summer and into the fabric of Cotton Inc. itself (all punny-ness intended), I felt a force in my mind driving me to recognize that if I am going to make my experience at Cotton Inc. accessible to other schools and classrooms, then I am going to have to think inside the box.

You see, in order for me to create curriculum and meaningful learning experiences for students in our state, I am going to have to remove my thinking from my strategic yet also silo’ed solo’ed classroom. For me, I am going to have to step back inside the box that I jumped out of years ago, and assess the walls that others are currently confined by, before I can begin thinking outside of the box again.

It’s ironic that I would have to think that way. After all, my yearly class and curriculum is designed to encourage and engage students with thinking outside the box, because they have been taught far too long to think inside. As a de facto of my position, I too was forced to think about student learning, student achievement, and curriculum outside of the box. But now I’m in a position where that kind of thinking won’t necessarily benefit others. My time at Cotton Inc. has taught me the value in not taking for granted the blessings that I have, but more so in recognizing how to meet students (and teachers) where they are.

If I am going to share this magnificent experience of Cotton Inc. with others in this great state, then I am going to have to step back into that box before I can think outside the box again.