Today is the second day of the 2016-2017 school year, and for the first time since early in George W. Bush’s administration, I’m not in a classroom. I have self-identified as a teacher for so long that I’m not entirely sure what to think of this situation. Part of me feels like I’m still on my summer holiday, and part of me feels relief that I won’t be grading papers and sitting through meetings after a long day of lessons, duties, and after-school activities.
There’s a new baby in my family, and my partner works long hours at her job. With two other children on two different campuses, our daily lives were already hectic enough, so we decided that I would take some time off to be with our wonderful son Aaron. After all, he’ll only be a baby once! When he’s old enough for preschool, I intend to go back to teaching full time. I love what I do professionally, but my family is my highest priority. Besides, who could resist this cute guy? 
I’m still fascinated by all things scientific, and I can’t help but follow the latest developments in biology, astronomy, and environmental science. With that in mind, I plan to spend a portion of my time away from school enhancing my professional ‘bag of tricks’ and honing my social media skills in order to be a better teacher when I do return to the classroom. My focus for this academic year will be tweeting relevant science news articles, developing more student-centered activities and units of study, and, hopefully, earning a certification in Google Apps for Education. I’ll continue to write about science and teaching resources in this blog, but you’re more likely to see me active on Twitter (@bradleymkremer).
Good luck this year!
MrKremerScience.com 