Rewritten this comment a few times, but it always sounded like a eulogy or like I’m signing your yearbook. So..how about just, “Thank you.”

Good luck Dan. I look forward to interacting with you in a different space and capacity now. I’ve been a fan of Linda Darling-Hammond’s for some time now and hope you have the opportunity to work with her at Stanford. Also, I hope you continue writing during that time, but I’ll be honest about my own PhD program: it’s a lot, A LOT, of writing. Still, even I am itching to get back on the blogging horse for different reasons now. Anyway, like Jason said above, “thank you” from me as well.

Wow. Congratulations. And thank you.

I’m sad for me…. I JUST found your blog. Guess I have to read the archives! But excited for you. Good luck.

Over the years I have come into contact with a few really outstanding teachers. I have worked alongside some of them, my daughters were fortunate to have been taught by a few of them, and as a school board member, I was thrilled to have them working with the students in my district. Just a fraction of these outstanding educators are still teaching in the classroom. A few have retired, but most have gone on to positions that influence other teachers to become better…which in turn influences many more students in a positive way. This is you already- and you are just going to keep getting better. Congratulations to you and best of luck in the future. I know teachers will continue to be inspired by your thoughts and ideas. FYI- my project for next year is to create more multi-media problem solving activities….be less helpful. Thanks for the inspiration!

Congrats Dan!

The fact that you are leaving the classroom made me think about one of the reasons I’m for education reform.

Right now, there are not really any promotions for teachers that don’t take them out of the classroom. If a programmer is really good and insightful and a hard worker, they can be put in charge of bigger projects, become a systems architect, manage a department, but they are still writing code.

Same with any number of jobs in the private and public sector. But if a teacher wants to progress and grow in their field, the only way they can do that is to leave the classroom. Not really sure what to say about this except that I think it is a problem when all the incentives are to remove our bright stars from the profession.

Not to say our brightest stars always leave, but thats certainly the way the game is laid out.

Congratulations Dan. The classroom will miss you. And with no intentional cutting, but do not allow the process of a doctorate take away your intuitive approach to learning.

I still believe that the act of teaching is an art much more than a science. You are artistic in your scientific approach to teaching…don’t lose that…it is what makes you stand out from the cacophony of educators who choose to write about their practice.

Again, it was a pleasure to have lunch with you and your wife in New York. Keep in touch as much as possible.

Congratulations, Dan on your fellowship at Stanford and the opportunities that await you there.

I will dearly miss your blog and insights — I hope you keep posting your ideas. You’ve been an inspiration for me to include much more technology and open-ended questions in my own classroom. Its clear from the postings here that many other teachers have been inspired to keep improving their instruction as well.

Thank you!

I forgot to add to my previous post that I actually read the article on your school’s website.

I sincerely hope that in your new position you can more easily make a large impact on education.

I have a feeling the dust has not settled on the blog but if it did, it was an exceptionally good run.

Thank you and good luck.

Dan, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and your insights push me to be better in my classroom. I wish you the best on your next chapter, and please (please, please, please…) keep blogging!

Congratulations! I can’t remember, it seems like 2-3 years ago when you were pondering the move to a doctoral program…. in any case, that sounds like an awesome opportunity that can’t be missed! You had better keep blogging – I do want to hear about how grad school goes.

I’m finishing the teacher ed program at Stanford and I’ve been reading your blog for a while (behind the scenes, we haven’t had a lot of head space this year). Welcome to Stanford, I hope that it will push you in all the right directions. I will be starting teaching next year, and I’m already looking forward to playing around with some of your ideas.

Bah. I just dropped by because I wanted to show you this schedule of the World Cup games…the graphics are sweet and I thought of you when I saw it: http://tinyurl.com/2v2uoxv.

But alas…I come here and find this news! I was fine on my last day, until I picked up my last book to read…and I bawled like a baby. Pretty embarrassing, but it’s amazing how compassionate 8 year olds are. I miss them, and I’m even coming back next year (fingers crossed).

Good luck…it’s great to think of you plugging yourself into another outlet where your insights can trickle through the system.

And…thank you.

Try to find ways to keep a toe in the classroom because the classrooms *need* more effective curriculum, but they need that baptism in fire, too. Don’t disappear up the ivory tower, please :)

I came a little late to the party, as I have only been following your blog since Stephen Leinwand gave you a shout out at NCSM. In just a few short weeks a couple of your insights have spurred thinking for me that I think will turn out to have a transformative affect on my work. It does take a leap of faith to leave the classroom, but I’m sure you will continue to find ways to stay engaged with the true work of teaching. You will be amongst good company at Stanford, and deservedly so. I am excited to see what Dan Meyer does next…

I’m in very close to the same situation: just finished my last day at an amazing teaching job (in Pennsylvania) and am headed to Stanford in the fall. I’ll be a master’s student in Learning, Design & Technology. I had been crying into my post-commencement beer, but after reading this post, I’m getting excited that I’m headed to a school that attracts folks like you!

I’m going to be like your kids and just assume that you’re not really leaving.

Yup, it’s working for me. I fully expect to find more things of interest on this here blog.

So there.

You better be slipping over to the d.school on occasion to give that ‘design thinking’ a look. Might be a cool place to read those heavy edu-theory tomes starting this fall, at the very least. Lots of white board space from what I gather. And you might even end up with an IDEO invite you also can’t turn down.

Better yet, enjoy the melancholy (well earned and deeply respected) and the new adventure. Been an honor knowing you on this front. Look forward to all that lies ahead.

Dan,

As an AmeriCorps volunteer who wants to change education for the better, but hesitant to join the teaching profession, you have inspired me to take the leap and have introduced me to a whole community of amazing teachers who work hard, innovate, and hold themselves accountable. In other words, you’ve introduced me to the work force that I originally envisioned joining.

Thank you for your inspiration and ideas. Please do whatever you can to help close the gap between academia and teachers.

Dan,

Good luck to you. Now I guess the question is WCYDWT http://www.stanford.edu/

thank you so much for your blog and for sharing your materials and thoughts on the profession.
–a grateful first-year teacher

Those kids you worked with sure taught you a lot about how to teach! Thank them for me, please.

Dan,

Congratulations to you and condolences to the young people that you would have impacted next and following years. I recently watched your TED talk and began to read your blog. I was getting ready to invite you to present to the annual EARCOS Teachers’ Conference in 2012, in Bangkok. We are doing a math strand and you are perfect for the task 12-1400 teachers from all over East Asia. I don’t suppose you will have the time now?

Dan,

I am going to be the gadfly in your comments nook. Why? Because I think it’s sad when leaving the classroom is considered a step up. Because your students are losing one heck of a teacher. Because too many inspirational teachers leave the classroom, burn out, or check out.

I don’t know where we got the idea that leaving students to some (possibly) less-able teacher is so laudable. I see this time and again. Stellar teachers come, they leave. Each rung above Direct Student Instruction comes ribboned with the prize called “Increased Status”. Just look at the comments on this thread. You’re leaving the classroom, and it’s as if you’ve won the lottery!

You’ll have time now to rare back in a comfortable chair and think. The bell won’t ring, papers won’t pile up, you don’t have small kids of your own to pick up. All well and good, no fault there. But you left the classroom. Too many good teachers do. Why you did, and what that gesture means for the rest of the teaching profession has implications far beyond a newsletter goodbye.

Good luck anyway, even if it’s the curmudgeonly kind. You’re an inspiration.

Johanna

I fell off the wagon on reading around here for a while and just recently came back. Congrats on going to Stanford. I’m especially interested because this is essentially the program I’m applying to for fall of 2011. Who are you working under? Did you just find out in June or have you known for a while?

Both women I’ve checked out as well. Very cool. I’ve spoken with Hilda Borko and she sounds great. Looking forward to reading whatever updates you post regarding your first experiences, and perhaps I’ll see you in about a year.