No Runner Left Behind

I run and I teach. I teach math in an elementary school. I love what I do all day, as well as all the work put in after and before with my sneaks. I run on roads and trails around DC, where I live, and Maryland, where I teach. I’m blessed with good friends, a great wife, and several networks in which I am able to pursue the two things I care the most about. This blog is a place for me to share thoughts I have, things I have seen, and anything else that I think would be beneficial to a fellow runner or teacher (or both). I will refrain from extending the No Child/Runner Left Behind ad nauseam, but I will state that this blog is inclusive for all runners alike, and therefore will leave none behind.

Generally, when I share that I teach math, people respond with some combination of disgust and shame. Let’s face it – people hate math. They hate that they feel unsuccessful at it, have failed at it, and they probably grew up in a world of math haters. Math equals anxiety, which in turn leads to avoidance, lack of confidence, and eventually failure. Hey – that sounds like how many view running. When I tell people about a recent race, they usually tell me I’m crazy, stupid, or both. At this point, I have dedicated my days to promoting two things many people despise, and I love it. As my students feel better at math, they like it more. And as we, as runners, the better we get at it, the more we like it. We get hooked, and something that was once dreaded is now looked forward to. We read about it, blog about it, and before you know it, it becomes cool. We run on vacation, in the snow, and we obsess over it. The lesson here is that something bad can turn good with some practice, confidence, and improvement. Who wouldn’t like something they’re good at?

I hope this blog will reach people across the running and education world, and pay back the inspiration that runners, teachers and students provide to me every day.