Two years ago today, I joined The Iron Yard as a Backend Engineering Instructor specializing in Ruby and Ruby on Rails.

Tomorrow will be Demo Day - where our students present their final projects - for my sixth cohort at TIY Indy.

It will also be my last day as an instructor for The Iron Yard.

This has been the toughest, most rewarding, most exhausting, most fulfilling and most formative job I’ve ever had.

In that time, I’ve seen students thrive and students massively struggle and I’ve tried my best to help along the way.

They learned from me - or despite me - in ways that have always amazed me.

And I’ve learned from them along the way. I leave TIY as a far better programmer and a far better person than when I started - all thanks to each and every one of my students.

I’ve seen them struggle with if/else statements on Day One and watched them blow me away with final projects that far exceed the things I taught them.

Later, I’ve watched them get their first jobs in tech and thrive.

For two years, I’ve lived through my students … tomorrow, I’ll do that for the last time.

Come Monday, I take everything they’ve taught me and start living for myself once again.

Thank you all. Each and every one of you. I’m proud of you, and I hope I haven’t and won’t let you down.

A few more thank yous:

  • Emily, thanks for putting up with me (I know this wasn’t always easy) and for making the Indy campus TIY’s best for so long. I can’t wait to see what you end up doing next.
  • Collin, thanks for agreeing to come along on this crazy ride. I’ve told anyone who would listen that you’re far better at this job than I, and I meant it every time.
  • Jessica, thank you for your enthusiasm and your hard work … and congrats again on your new gig as TIY’s Campus Director; I know you’ll keep things rocking.
  • James, thanks for allowing me to be a small part of your journey - and thanks for sending me out with my largest paid class.

I start a new development job Monday, but I’m not planning to be done teaching/mentoring.

I need to take a bit of a break, but watch this space for something in a few weeks/months.