It’s important to not just read whatever someone decides to put out there on the Internet and accept it as truth. You should at least know a little about the person typing the words in at the other end of the screen.
I’m Jordan Catapano, and have had the privilege of working in public education for the past 14 years. I spent 12 of those years as a high school English teacher and loved every moment of it. The last two years I transitioned into administration as an Assistant Principal. During those years, I’ve written dozens of education-related articles, served on a private school’s Board of Education, and done my darnedest to become a better professional and better man every day.
I earned by Bachelor of Arts at the University of Illinois. A few years after that I earned a Masters in British and American Literature from Northern Illinois University. Most recently, I earned a Masters in Principal Preparation from Concordia University.
My experience is largely high school-centric, and you’ll see that come across in many of my posts. I will write about other grade levels, though, and I try to make sure I’m basing my perspectives on truth rather than raw feeling. I started this blog because I’m not an expert, and I believe that one of the purposes of this blog is to help me think through my experiences and to connect to educators from whom I might continue to learn.
When I’m not thinking about education, I love spending time with my incredible family. I married my high school sweetheart and we have four children, each energetic and unique. Life is busy, and we like it that way. My wife and I joke that we “don’t sit still very well,” and are constantly taking on personal goals and projects.
I suppose I could tell you what kind of poetry I like, what movies I’ve seen recently, and what toppings I like on my pizza. But instead I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “Time is the one thing we can never retrieve.” May we all use our time well, enacting our own version of good, to sweeten the world before we depart.