Lindsey Holtry

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I was the oldest of four girls and loved working with kids at our school, church and local community center.

In high school, I did a lot of volunteering in areas I loved and knew would be a part of my future career. I coached volleyball, worked with kids at my church and volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club, where I created my own tutoring and mentoring program. I wish I could have learned more about computer science when I was in high school, especially now that technology is so prevalent in our world.

When I started my career in education, I sought out any opportunity to incorporate more technology into the classroom. I used iPods for students to listen to audiobooks and jumped at the chance to be trained how to use interactive whiteboards. My principal at the time saw the value in what I do and offered me opportunities to attend Apple trainings, which led me to becoming an in-house IT person. Using my background in education, I could better support teachers in learning how they could use technology in their classrooms.

I never had to take formal classes for my technology position, but I did have to be willing to attend specialized trainings, sometimes unpaid. A lot of the training I was able to do came from opportunities in my district.

Today, as the education technology coach, I work with teachers to find ways to use technology effectively in their classrooms. There is always something new to learn, and I love getting to share that with people. My goal is to equip students and teachers with the ability to adapt evolving technologies, jobs and opportunities — some of which may not have even been invented yet.

My advice to future educators and technology coaches is don’t be afraid to ask questions and take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to you. Sometimes we don’t think we are good enough or don’t have the right background or training to try something, but you will never know what’s available to you until you ask.

Lindsey Holtry is an education technology coach in Wichita, Kansas. She is the 2023-2024 Kroger HirePaths Teacher Ambassador.