Ann Baum

I would attribute my success to the incredible network of people I've worked with throughout my career, particularly those involved in Classrooms for the Future and the TieNet group we created. When we received that huge grant in Pennsylvania around technology called Classrooms for the Future, which was built to have coaches within that realm for providing educator support, we made a decision after that first year to open it up to every school district in the area. I went directly to my boss and asked to individually invite those districts that didn't receive the grant themselves, asking them to send representatives for each district to connect once a month and work together in building something much greater and much more rewarding for the school system. That group, which we named TieNet, was the most rewarding thing of all the work I've probably done. It still exists today, and even though I don't attend anymore because instructional coaches are not administrators, I send my staff to bounce ideas off of each other. Those of us who built this together within the surrounding three counties remain very close, and it was just an incredibly powerful and deeply connected group of people. At the state level, there were 26 to 29 of us who came together to do amazing work that was focused on what's best for kids across Pennsylvania. I also credit the professors I've had, the teachers who guided me into my field, my friends, and those I've maintained relationships with, as well as the students who inspire me each and every day. All of those people have made an incredible impact in my life and have kept me focused on the why, continuing to inspire me moving forward in my career and helping me follow my dreams. My three instructional coaches each year are truly the foundation and provide a lifeline within our district. I feel extremely connected through that program, and with all the administrative tasks that can loom over your head as an educator, being able to have that type of support and connection has been incredibly fulfilling.

There have been just a number of people who have made an incredible impact but those who have been of classrooms for the future, the network that they created for Pennsylvania school districts have been the most impactful. She is so proud to have worked alongside such incredible people and have the support of many different educators and people in the community. From the professors that she has had, the teachers that have guided her into her field, her friends and those who she has maintained relationships with, as well as the students who inspire her each and every day, she is very grateful for all of those who have made an impact in her life and who have kept her focused on the why, and continued to inspire her moving forward in her career and being able to follow her dreams.

The advice that I would share with young women who are looking to go into education is to give it time. More and more educators are leaving between one and three years into their career, and it's very important for us to give things time because research shows it takes a good three years to really find that place where you've settled into your own within the educator role. Times are very difficult now and there are a lot of challenges within the industry and outside of that, but the hardest piece is that you may not realize your impact until later on. Every day, each teacher is impacting a student, they just aren't aware of it. They don't know how they're impacted, and oftentimes you don't hear until five or ten years later when these kids come back. It's so interesting because sometimes kids that you would have thought would have never come back are the ones who come back and say they've changed your life, or how you changed their life. Sometimes they shock you because you didn't think they really paid attention in your class, or they struggled, or they weren't one of your top students. For them to come back and say that you made an impact on their lives is unbelievable. It's a great feeling, but unfortunately we don't get that very often. I think social media has somewhat helped, and I have kids that now still connect with me. Every once in a while it's so funny the things they bring up, or they thank me and say I was a guiding light for everything in their adult life, and I never expected that was happening for that particular student. You just don't realize your impact, or that little things you're doing that you just do because you think they're good for kids might seem like a small thing, but to some kids, that one little activity that you did or that one little statement you said to that person can change their lives. The second thing I would recommend is to always keep a physical and a digital folder for all your feedback from other students and colleagues, because there are going to be days that will be hard, and you just need to reference those things to remember why you're here, what you're doing, and that you can make it.

One of the biggest challenges in my field is teacher retention, with many educators leaving within their first few years, compounded by the lasting disruption from COVID, ongoing budget constraints, and the rapidly evolving demands of educational technology. At the same time, there are strong opportunities in expanding EdTech integration, strengthening instructional coaching models, leveraging open educational resources, and building cross-district professional networks that support collaboration and shared growth.

I would say integrity is most important to me. I've got to live by that. Along with that, probably to a fault sometimes, but I have high expectations for myself as well as others, and they're clear. I think when you have that, others want to join you and hold themselves up to higher expectations as well. I would also say being trustworthy is very important to me. The tag on my ISTE tag always says 'plays well with others,' so being collaborative is a core value. I see the big picture, and sometimes I think it's hard for me that people don't see that, or they can't go outside of their bubble and take something and apply it in their situation. But I'm also sequential with things too, so I have a nice mixture. It's not too imbalanced on either side, and I take pride in having both of those work together. In my personal life, my children and family are most important to me. My husband and I have four adult young men, three of them with families now, and our big project is spending time with our six grandchildren who are between three states. I love traveling with my family, and we cruise a lot, so I'm hoping to do a grandkid cruise or a whole family cruise. I'm also very passionate about dance. I was a dancer when I was young as well as a gymnast, and I helped with cheerleading. All of those areas are still rooted in dance, and that's definitely a passion for me. I used to teach adult tap and jazz classes, but I needed to release the tension of preparing every week for classes and just wanted to enjoy it for fun instead of teaching on top of that.