As per usual, it's been a while since I blogged. A long while.
And I could write to catch you up on the last year in the life, but I'm not going to. I'm just going to talk about this week.
I have a new job. For the last three years, I've been serving in the role of Middle School Principal. My life has revolved around the world of 11-15 year olds, dealing with the ups and downs of 6th graders starting this great big adventure outside of elementary school, helping 8th graders understand the ups and downs of leadership before they're on the bottom of the totem pole again, and helping teachers and parents understand that 7th grade is basically the terrible twos of middle school, but when you're 2 you don't remember life before it and when you're in 7th grade everyone expects you to have your act together. It was an energetic and draining and life lightening job and I loved [almost] every minute of it.
And now, I'm Secondary Principal. My world has expanded from 6th-8th graders to 6th-12th graders. In middle school, we set schedules for the kids...in high school they choose their classes and change their classes and want to talk about choosing and changing their classes. Its busier and college decisions are looming on the horizon and life as they know it is nearing an end as they prepare for the next adventure.
So, all that said, my world is a bit different now. Here are five things I've learned about myself this week, now that I've survived it!
1 - I can get it done. I may be exhausted and weary and confused 90% of the time about what happened 5 minutes ago, but once I get focused the world is my oyster and mankind are my brethren, 'cuz I can make it happen. Sometimes making it happen comes at the expense of my own sanity and health (food isn't actually essential, right?), but when push comes to shove and the rubber meets the road, I will do whatever it takes to get it done if it's something that needs to get done. The upside of this: I get things done. The downside of this: I get things done. Need to get better at delegating, I think...
2 - I need sleep. On nights this week where I got a solid 7-9 hours, the next day was a delight (relatively speaking) and joy/smiles were constant(ish). On Friday, after only getting 5-6 hours of sleep (and only having a milkshake for dinner, but that's a different story for a different day), I was dead in the water. I felt like I was about to fall asleep every time I sat down and I had a hard time seeing the silver linings of clouds. Sure, I got things done and figured it out, but I'd much rather have a baseline of smiles/optimism while getting it done. So if you see me online or at school after 8 pm, tell me to go to bed...I'll thank you later after I roll my eyes and complain about not needing the care/concern. :)
3 - I love the children. Like totally adore and want to do whatever it takes to help them succeed. If you've been around me in a school setting, you probably already know this about me, but I think I needed a reminder. In the back of my head, I've always thought that I wouldn't be effective with high schoolers. This week I proved myself wrong. And on top of that, these once kiddos who are ready to face the world head-on are amazing and deep and thoughtful and kind. They respond so well when they know the intentions behind the rule...and they don't push back out of spite or angst but out of frustration or lack of understanding. I have thoroughly enjoyed every conversation I've had with every high schooler this week. I honestly didn't know that that would be where my heart/mind were at this year...but once again the Father knows me so much better than I know myself. Ask me in a week if I still feel this way. (Spoiler alert: I will!)
4 - I love teachers. Now if you ask me at the end of a long day where I haven't communicated well if I love teachers, I might hesitate, but I really do love them and appreciate them and respect them for the different people that they are and ways that they impact the future and our students through what they do in their classrooms. This week has been filled with a lot of conversations and questions and guidance...and it can be draining when I feel like I'm barely keeping my own head above water...but I am sooooooooooooo thankful for the staff that I work with. They make me want to be a better leader so that they have more capacity to do what they've been called to do.
5 - I never appreciated my leadership enough as a teacher. "If I knew then what I know now..." I'd always have a list written up of questions/things to talk about when I visited my principal, but I'd also not worry about taking too much of their time when they ask me to sit down and just chat. The work questions are important, but the relationship is key. I don't know how they all did it...balancing the intensity of their jobs and still making me feel important and worthy and necessary. I want to be a leader like that, and I'm so lucky to have had AMAZING examples of this in my divisional principals throughout my teaching career (I'm looking at you Josh and Gloria!). Now I'm not writing this because my staff aren't appreciative...they are and I've been so incredibly blessed this week by the prayers and encouragements and conversations. I'm writing this because I don't know that I ever did enough as a teacher to truly show my gratitude...because until entering into this new job this week I didn't realize how much they were juggling. They did it so gracefully and fluidly. I hope that I can be a leader like that when I grow up.
Okay enough blogging and verbally (well, typidly...is that a word yet?) processing for one morning. Time to get organized and head to my favorite coffee shop so I can get caught up on emails. Having an inbox with 0 notifications or flags is the goal. Wish me luck!
Ooooo heres a picture of our school staff (elementary, secondary, office staff, etc) from the first day of school. Our theme this year is "choose joy." and in all these colorful shirts I don't know how you could do anything but smile :)
And I could write to catch you up on the last year in the life, but I'm not going to. I'm just going to talk about this week.
I have a new job. For the last three years, I've been serving in the role of Middle School Principal. My life has revolved around the world of 11-15 year olds, dealing with the ups and downs of 6th graders starting this great big adventure outside of elementary school, helping 8th graders understand the ups and downs of leadership before they're on the bottom of the totem pole again, and helping teachers and parents understand that 7th grade is basically the terrible twos of middle school, but when you're 2 you don't remember life before it and when you're in 7th grade everyone expects you to have your act together. It was an energetic and draining and life lightening job and I loved [almost] every minute of it.
And now, I'm Secondary Principal. My world has expanded from 6th-8th graders to 6th-12th graders. In middle school, we set schedules for the kids...in high school they choose their classes and change their classes and want to talk about choosing and changing their classes. Its busier and college decisions are looming on the horizon and life as they know it is nearing an end as they prepare for the next adventure.
So, all that said, my world is a bit different now. Here are five things I've learned about myself this week, now that I've survived it!
1 - I can get it done. I may be exhausted and weary and confused 90% of the time about what happened 5 minutes ago, but once I get focused the world is my oyster and mankind are my brethren, 'cuz I can make it happen. Sometimes making it happen comes at the expense of my own sanity and health (food isn't actually essential, right?), but when push comes to shove and the rubber meets the road, I will do whatever it takes to get it done if it's something that needs to get done. The upside of this: I get things done. The downside of this: I get things done. Need to get better at delegating, I think...
2 - I need sleep. On nights this week where I got a solid 7-9 hours, the next day was a delight (relatively speaking) and joy/smiles were constant(ish). On Friday, after only getting 5-6 hours of sleep (and only having a milkshake for dinner, but that's a different story for a different day), I was dead in the water. I felt like I was about to fall asleep every time I sat down and I had a hard time seeing the silver linings of clouds. Sure, I got things done and figured it out, but I'd much rather have a baseline of smiles/optimism while getting it done. So if you see me online or at school after 8 pm, tell me to go to bed...I'll thank you later after I roll my eyes and complain about not needing the care/concern. :)
3 - I love the children. Like totally adore and want to do whatever it takes to help them succeed. If you've been around me in a school setting, you probably already know this about me, but I think I needed a reminder. In the back of my head, I've always thought that I wouldn't be effective with high schoolers. This week I proved myself wrong. And on top of that, these once kiddos who are ready to face the world head-on are amazing and deep and thoughtful and kind. They respond so well when they know the intentions behind the rule...and they don't push back out of spite or angst but out of frustration or lack of understanding. I have thoroughly enjoyed every conversation I've had with every high schooler this week. I honestly didn't know that that would be where my heart/mind were at this year...but once again the Father knows me so much better than I know myself. Ask me in a week if I still feel this way. (Spoiler alert: I will!)
4 - I love teachers. Now if you ask me at the end of a long day where I haven't communicated well if I love teachers, I might hesitate, but I really do love them and appreciate them and respect them for the different people that they are and ways that they impact the future and our students through what they do in their classrooms. This week has been filled with a lot of conversations and questions and guidance...and it can be draining when I feel like I'm barely keeping my own head above water...but I am sooooooooooooo thankful for the staff that I work with. They make me want to be a better leader so that they have more capacity to do what they've been called to do.
5 - I never appreciated my leadership enough as a teacher. "If I knew then what I know now..." I'd always have a list written up of questions/things to talk about when I visited my principal, but I'd also not worry about taking too much of their time when they ask me to sit down and just chat. The work questions are important, but the relationship is key. I don't know how they all did it...balancing the intensity of their jobs and still making me feel important and worthy and necessary. I want to be a leader like that, and I'm so lucky to have had AMAZING examples of this in my divisional principals throughout my teaching career (I'm looking at you Josh and Gloria!). Now I'm not writing this because my staff aren't appreciative...they are and I've been so incredibly blessed this week by the prayers and encouragements and conversations. I'm writing this because I don't know that I ever did enough as a teacher to truly show my gratitude...because until entering into this new job this week I didn't realize how much they were juggling. They did it so gracefully and fluidly. I hope that I can be a leader like that when I grow up.
Okay enough blogging and verbally (well, typidly...is that a word yet?) processing for one morning. Time to get organized and head to my favorite coffee shop so I can get caught up on emails. Having an inbox with 0 notifications or flags is the goal. Wish me luck!
Ooooo heres a picture of our school staff (elementary, secondary, office staff, etc) from the first day of school. Our theme this year is "choose joy." and in all these colorful shirts I don't know how you could do anything but smile :)
