Teachers as well as students have found these last few years to be exceptionally challenging. When the Covid-19 pandemic required an unexpected switch to online teaching and learning, everyone involved in education faced the stress caused by change and uncertainty. Returning to in-person learning made it clear that the strain is still present. Many students are exhibiting behavioral issues rarely seen before, and the struggle to find ways to help, on top of their usual immense workload, is taking a toll on teachers. Cultivating hope as an actual strategy for coping with these new demands is a way forward - and may be as important as the traditional tools of the educator. Teachers must glean hope in their profession from each other and from their dreams of positively impacting their students, while finding ways of helping students find hope for their own futures. Josh Weissman has been teaching technology education at Poudre High School in Fort Collins, CO since 2004. Growing up in New York, he spent his childhood "messing about in boats". This eventually led to a rewarding career in the U.S. Merchant Marine Service, where he served for eleven years. Josh has enjoyed working in a variety of engineering and construction fields. A wandering career has carried him and his wife from the West Coast, Alaska, and Eastern Canada to the South Pacific and Africa, finally settling in Colorado. After beginning college at the University of Michigan, where he studied Mechanical Engineering and competed on the wrestling team, Josh completed his studies and received his teaching credentials from Colorado State. When not helping students design and build super-amazingly cool stuff, Josh enjoys coaching the Poudre wrestling team, competing in ultra-distance endurance events, hiking, biking and backpacking with his beautiful wife in the western mountains. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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