This time of year, I often feel like I'm in the middle. I'm being pulled in lots of directions. As we move into hiring season, many of you may start to feel the same way. You're happy for your colleagues who are getting new and exciting opportunities, you're happy that you have a job you love, but you're sad and nervous for the friends and colleagues who are still longing for their chance to have their own classrooms.
I will never forget the JOY of getting my first real teaching job. I still remember the phone call when the principal offered it to me. I still remember walking into my classroom for the first time and the feeling of accomplishment that came with it (I also remember crying for the first 180 school days because I was a terrible teacher-but that's a post for another day). Now, one of the most exciting things I get to do as a principal is to be the person who others will remember when they think back about getting their first teaching jobs. However, I also remember the feeling of getting the call and being told that I did not get the job (cough, cough, I'm talking about you Goshen Lane Elementary School in Gahanna circa 2000). I remember feeling hopeless and questioning if this was the right profession for me. I got tired of people saying "everything happens for a reason," even though they were right. And, you guessed it, crushing peoples dreams is one of the things that I hate about my job as a principal. It is so hard to watch some great educators try year after year to get hired only to have circumstances out of their control keep them from their dreams. It is also hard when you have only a few positions to fill and so many great people to fill them. As we move through hiring season I am going to be intentional about ensuring that I make decisions and announcements with care and concern for people's feelings, hopes and dreams while still being excited for those who have finally reached theirs. To all of you who are reading this, you are all in different stages of your journeys but if you can LIFT up a colleague or friend who is struggling and anxious right now, I know it would be appreciated.
0 Comments
As a middle class white woman I can honestly say that I have never been on the receiving end of racism. In fact, for a long time I didn’t really "see" it because I was not effected by it. I thought I was “not racist” and by being "not racist" I had no role to play in changing things. I thought that by simply “treating everyone the same” I was doing the right thing. However, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, we began to look at race and racism differently in the United States. I began to look at myself differently and came to realize that I have been blinded by my privilege. For example, I have never been afraid that my 16 year old son’s life may be at risk when he is walking home from school or to a park to play basketball. I’ve never been fearful to be pulled over by the police for a minor traffic violation or that I’d be profiled as a run errands in the mostly white suburban neighborhood where I live. This year I have realized that my freedom to live without fear on a daily basis IS my privilege and it is many of your privilege too. I find myself trying to imagine the constant trauma, anxiety and stress that those who are black or brown in America must be feeling. But, I will never be able to fully comprehend these feelings. Instead, I need to be an ally. I need to be vulnerable enough to say that I don’t understand but that I am learning and will continue to learn. Even though a verdict of guilty was rendered in the Derek Chauvin trial on Tuesday, we have a long way to go. We need to be intentional as we continue to support our black and brown students, friends and neighbors. We also need to continue to say the names of other people who have been murdered due to racism. We must work to be anti racist. While we are each just one person, collectively we can make a difference. We have the power to impact the lives of little children every day. We must continue to have courageous conversations about current events, racism, justice and equality. We do not have to have all the answers but we must create a safe place for students to have their voices heard and their feelings validated. I feel like I was very late to the fight against racism, but I'm glad I am part of it now. I'm glad our school is part of it too. We have a long way to go but we have taken the first steps! Let's keep fighting. Last week via email, I found out we ran out of snack money. I’ll stand up and own that I wasn’t paying attention to the invoices. And, I definitely started to panic a little. I found out we needed $3000 to pay for snack for the remainder of the school year.
I called Aramark to try to figure out a plan. Ideas were swirling through my head… “maybe Kiwanis can help, maybe the food bank, I’ll go to Sam’s club, should I call the treasurer and see if he can cover it somehow, Title money?…” Then, in that very moment as I was on my office phone talking to Dave Wilson at Aramark, my cell phone rang. I looked at it and noticed that it was Brad Snyder, the pastor from Veritas Church! (If you recall, Veritas sponsored our snack so far for the school year to the tune of $5000). I’m not sure about you but I truly believe that there are no coincidences and that I was witnessing God’s work. In that very moment I knew that our friends from Veritas would help us. So, as soon as I hung up the phone I called Brad back. Of course, he didn’t answer! So I left him a message and after much back and forth we finally were able to talk TODAY. I shared with him the story of our snack and asked if the church would be willing to give $3000 more to our school. Brad talked to some people and called me back within minutes to tell me that a check was on its way. I just know the work we are doing here is the right work. I feel like this story is a reminder to all of us that we have people who want to help us and we are not in this alone. Keep fighting the good fight! These kids need us! Sometimes we say things so often they become “white noise” and lose meaning.
I don’t want that to happen to love as an intervention. We’re back all in. We have started testing and things can feel like they’re moving really fast. Even so, we cannot lose sight of LOVE. I challenge us all to think about one or two kids who are struggling. Maybe they’re struggling academically, maybe they’re struggling behaviorally or maybe it’s for another reason. Choose two kids who need love as an intervention. Maybe they need to have lunch with you, maybe they need a smile and a pat on the back when they’re having a rough moment, maybe they need a few words of encouragement. Whatever they need I challenge you to choose a couple kids to intentionally love today! It will make a difference! |
Archives
May 2023
Categories |