Making the Move

In January, I made the tough decision to find a new "principal home" for the 2020-2021 school year.

There are 1,000 reasons for this decision. Some I can share here, and others...well, those reasons don't need to be publicly displayed. But for me, in my gut, I realized it was time for a change.

For the last year, I have had some pretty low moments. It has not been professionally easy, to say the least. Not that any job ever is. I'm not naive. I absolutely recognize that the "grass isn't always greener." Every where, every place, every system has their own issues to work through.

That being said, this year felt different. I wasn't fulfilled. I wasn't blogging. I wasn't on Twitter. I wasn't pouring over readings/blogs to learn and grow. I questioned my calling. My purpose. Should I even be in education anymore? I even looked up other vocations, such as driving truck.

At the end of the day, a wise mentor once said to me "Sometimes, you need to go to grow." 

So, I began my search. I wasn't expecting to find a perfect fit right away, and I certainly had no idea what would happen to the world a short time later.

But there it was. The stars aligned. Connections were made. There was a lot of reflection, questions, conversations, and prayer. And in February, I made the commitment to move to the New Berlin school district. Starting July 1, I will be the new principal of Ronald Reagan Elementary School.

At the time, there was this overwhelming sense of relief. There was also excitement--dreaming of what could be. Then, the anxiety/dread crept in. Oh gosh...now I need to tell my current staff!! What will that be like? How will it change our last trimester together? What will the parents think? How will my students react?

In late February, I told my staff. I didn't think I would cry, but alas, I was a blubbering mess. Again, when done, a huge weight was off of my shoulders. I had huge plans for our last trimester. I was determined to set us up for success for whomever would take my place. 

Enter March 13th. The day our world "stopped" in Wisconsin. COVID-19 caused our state to shut down for the remainder of the year. We didn't know it would be our last day together. I didn't know that the days before would be the last time I would see some of the students in person. All of my plans for our trimester left together were tossed out the window. We pivoted. We worked diligently to stay afloat. We dug deep, and moved forward.

The trimester ticked away, and it felt like in a flash, we were in June. Official goodbyes were about to be under way, and I was scrambling to try to wrap up year-end items to assist in the transition.

I can't quite explain the feeling of having a foot in "both doors." Navigating this kind of change of closing up one school and entering another. Not to mention the fact that all of this is occurring during a global pandemic. Surreal is the only word that seems to fit.

People often ask me, "Would you still have applied elsewhere had you known the shut down was coming?" That's hard to answer. I try not to live in hindsight too much, only for reflection. I am honestly not sure. In my head, the total unknown that we are all facing might have prevented me from taking the leap. That fear of unknown is real. My own anxiety is real. And we are certainly living in a black hole that we cannot see through yet. In my heart, I'd like to think I would have. 

Goodbyes are always hard. But the hardest for me right now is not getting to say goodbye to the students. I don't deal well with non-closure. I feel like everything about this school year has been left unfinished, including my departure. Not saying goodbye to these kids that I adore keeps me up at night. In the meantime, I'm working with my replacement to *hopefully* be able to host a "Popsicles with the Principals" for later this summer. It could be a true transition point of closure. "Goodbye" to me, and "hello" to my replacement. I think we will all need a "restart" for this upcoming year.

One of the other interesting things about a transition like this is who comes out of the "woodwork" to share things with you. In my role, sad to say that people don't typically show up in your office to tell you that you are doing a good job. It can be quite lonely and hard to tell if what you are doing is making a difference or impact. The amount of kind words that have been shared with me in these last few weeks has been humbling. You always *hope* you are making a difference. For me, one of my priorities has always been relationships with kids and families. That has come out loud and clear with the heartfelt messages I have received.

My amazing PTO also left me with this parting gift. I made the mistake of seeing the email while in a meeting, and opening it on the way to my car in the parking lot. Needless to say, I was a sobbing mess, sitting in my car, watching this beautiful gift.

In addition, they sent me a Dropbox file FULL of additional images/videos that they couldn't fit into this video. I also got a beautiful e-card full of the sweetest messages. My heart overflowed with the appreciations that were shared. It truly speaks to the power of appreciation. I wish I would have known how some felt sooner. I wish I would have heard nice things more along the way. Appreciations truly make a difference. I will forever cherish this gift and these kids.

Blessed. In my reflection, I cannot get over how blessed I have been. It was an honor to lead these kids for the last 3 years. It was an honor to watch many of them grow up before my very eyes. It was a gift to learn alongside this community--the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful moments. At the end of the day, at the end of my time here, I believe that I am a better educator due to my time in Shorewood.

And now, I move on. I move on with the memories, the learning, the relationships, the mentors, and the friends. I am more than I was 3 years ago. I am better. I am ready for new beginnings.

Yours in Learning,

Angela

Mid-Year Reflection

It's February already? Seriously, when did that happen? If my blogging pattern is telling in any way, well, I've decided there is a reason for that! (and....now it is March when this is actually getting published...good grief!)

First and foremost, let's celebrate that we have survived half of the school year! My goodness, July seems like forever ago! Yet, here we are, over halfway done, racing towards the end of the year. I'd love to pause and use this time to reflect on the first half. The highs. The lows. The changes. The hopes. The "what's next" feelings of anxiety. This first year certainly has been a whirlwind so far, to say the least. But, honestly, I couldn't be happier. I still love my job!

I tried to put my emotions of the year so far into emoji form. I only completed the months so far, anticipating that in June, I'll finish the rest! Here is what I came up with:

Let's back up and take it month by month:

Holy Lord!! I'm starting this job. It is really happening. Now what? Honestly, I felt completely clueless in July. My school was virtually empty. I had no background knowledge to build upon. It was lonely. It was scary. Things that I am so glad I did:

• Made my office mine: It was a sort of "nesting" experience for me. It was a pretty sterile environment upon entering, so making it feel more like "home" felt great. I'm glad I did this in June/July, because I never would have had time, if I had waited.
• Met with every staff member: This time was so well worth every minute spent! I loved getting to know my new staff. I learned so much about my new school and about them--as people and as educators. 
• Planning: I felt like I was truly planning for the unknown. I guess, in hindsight, I was. I really was looking ahead to August and September, but couldn't see much beyond that yet.
• Establishing relationships with colleagues: I got to work closely and get to know my new administrative team. They were so kind and generous in answering my questions and making me feel welcome and supported.
• Downloaded some awesome checklists for the year. Being a member of AWSA was so helpful this year! Principal Principles also has some awesome ones HERE
• Bought a subscription to SMORE! It is a lifesaver for newsletters!!! I highly recommend. Worth every penny of the $79 a year!! I blogged about it HERE. 

Let the meetings begin! Wow, there sure were a lot of them in August! SO much to get ready for. It felt like July moved at such a snail's pace, and August felt like a whirlwind race to the finish line of the first day of school.  Between "Forms and Fees" and the ramp up to back to school, it was crazy. Crazier still was that even though I've been in education for almost 17 years, this felt like my very first FIRST day of school! I had never experienced "beginning of the year prep" in this way before. Things I am so glad that I did:

• Team-building activities with my new staff
• Took the "Managing to Lead PD" with my secretary...the BEST PD ever to help me start to organize my year, as well as establish my relationship with my admin assistant!!
• Showed them my appreciation for the work they were doing to prepare
• Stayed out of the way as much as I could
• Asked a TON of questions (what traditions do I need to know about, are there special things to do or plan for, etc.)
• Listen more than talk. Everyone had things they wanted to share with me. It was time to LEARN as much as I could!

Talk about starting the year on a HIGH! It was so full of energy and excitement. Everyone was in a good mood and most importantly, on their BEST behaviors! I remember thinking "Wow, this is great! I can *definitely* make it through this year, if it continues like this..." Little did I know.... ;)

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Visited every classroom--EVERY week for this first month! I left positive notes for teachers every time I was there. I blogged about it HERE. They were not used to a principal being in their space...EVER, so I wanted to make it as positive of an experience as possible for them.
• Spent time at every lunch hour and recess to establish tone and learn "hot spots" and kids
• Met with every classroom/grade level and had them help me write the playground/lunch room rules. I then turned them into big posters for EVERYWHERE. Teachers got a copy. Playground supervisors got one. Parents got them, too!
• Started and ended each day at the front of the school--greeting and saying goodbye to kids/families really helped develop relationships and rapport
• Made specific effort to find and start to get to know the "naughty list" kids that I had *heard* about. I wanted to start to build a relationship with them and catch them doing good. It was a great proactive move for the rest of the year.
• Continued to listen and learn as much as I could

October was busy. With parent teacher conferences and school board/district expectations ramping up, I started to realize the evening commitment aspect of this work. I felt like I was away from home...A LOT. This took some home adjustment. My amazing hubby and I had to find some balance and collaboration to figure out child care, etc. There were some growing pains this month around that. Behaviors with kids also started to ramp up. Remember my "naughty list" kids from last month...yep...the honeymoon was over for some of them. I am so glad that I started to build relationships with them early. It made those first discipline encounters that much better.

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Had open, honest conversations with my hubby about time commitments. We got MUCH better about our shared calendar and trying to plan ahead. It was critical to the success.
• Attended as many school events as possible. Being present and visible also helped establish and develop relationships with kids and families.
• Continued to try to catch the "naughty list" of kids doing good
• Dug deeper into my understanding of restorative practices
• Continued to spend time in classrooms and leave positive notes for teachers
• Read through every SLO and gave specific feedback
• Began my "Full" observations of my summative year teachers (I had 26 on summative this year!! aka Baptism By Fire)

Yep...this job is hard. The honeymoon period is long gone, and you are now moving 100 miles per hour--Every. Day. Observations consume your time, and you feel like you have less and less "fun" visits to classrooms. The countdown to the holidays is also beginning...wait?? I need to shop! Not just for my family, but for the staff, too! 

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Continue to schedule time for FUN visits to classrooms. I had my secretary block off times on my calendar to just BE with kids. I needed that positivity in my work life!
• Started to plan out what I was going to give my staff as an easy, inexpensive holiday gift. With a staff of 100, I needed to plan ahead. I ended up making my own version of THESE. I bought cases of flavored hot cocoa from Sam's. Candy canes and marshmallows!
• I wrote each of my staff members a personal thank you note for the week of Thanksgiving, telling them why I was thankful for them. I made them specific and meaningful. It was so well-received by everyone. Sometimes a simple, heartfelt note goes so much further than any other gift. Start EARLY! If your building is like my building...writing 100 notes is hard on the hand!!
• Muscled through more full observations

I remember when I was a teacher how ridiculous December was. Well, being a principal is a magnified version of that. It felt like simply survival mode. So much of my time was consumed by behaviors--and not just kid behaviors. Adult ones, too!! <sigh> Kids struggle with transition and change. Building up to a week+ of school off was exciting for some and dreadful for others. Being as present as possible was mandatory.

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Was as proactive as possible. I spent a ton of time...again...in the lunch room and on playground.
• Made clear, visible snow rules posters (no, throwing snowballs STILL isn't allowed with a new principal ;)
• Date night. I needed to start scheduling these with my hubby. I needed to *try* to find a little balance with work/home.
• Wrote personal thank you notes for every gift I received from staff, kids, and families.
• So much of this month was a blur....

Holy cow!! Half of the year is over! But that still means that we had 1/2 to go! We all came back rejuvenated and refreshed from winter break. There were some growing pains there, too, especially with behaviors transitioning back.

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Continued to be at every evening function that I could
• Wrapped up my full observations of summative year staff members by the end of January
• Got into classrooms as much as I could--just for fun kid time. K4 and K5 were particularly fun hot spots
• Took pictures of kids simply playing in the snow. I needed to remind myself from time to time about the joy of kids being kids. It helped ground me in why we do this work
• Did a mid-year review with my leadership team to look at our building plan and data, and made plans/adjusted goals for the remainder of the year

Again, just like in teaching, February is a draining month. The moral is low. People are tired. there are TONS of weeks until Spring Break (at least it feels that way). Tempers are a little high...with adults and with kids.

• Made an ice cream bar for staff for Valentine's Day
• Continued the tradition of "Fun Fridays" for kids/staff. Something fun every Friday in February (PJ day, Twin Day, game day, etc.)
• Dug into completing mini-observations for everyone. So. Many. Staff members.
• Attended a wonderful leadership conference in Chicago with other EL Education leaders. It was awesome to connect and get excited about future directions
• Began thinking about staffing changes. Retirements were announced. We also had to reduce a section in Kindergarten, so navigating those seas of change were tough
• Leaned heavily on my professional support network. They were so great with guidance and advice.

So...cheers to the end of the year! It will come fast and furious, no doubt.

Yours in Reflecting,

Angela

Welcome to the Show

Welcome to the "Show", the "Big Leagues", the "Office", or as many have told me since I made the decision to leave the classroom--the "Dark Side!" 

After 16 years of teaching, I begin my journey as an elementary principal in this beautiful building next week. I will walk through these doors and hope to make a difference in the lives of many. I will build relationships with staff, students, and families. I will learn. I will make mistakes. I will grow. And my ultimate hope is to support teachers and students in creating and implementing authentic learning experiences.

Right now...I'm feeling excited, thankful, sad, a little overwhelmed, and scared. I think we are often afraid of the "unknown." Afraid of "failure." Afraid of letting those we care about down. It certainly is an odd feeling going from the "top of your game" to "newbie." We don't ever really know what we don't know. And I couldn't be more grateful to this amazing district for believing in me. Much of this job will be new to me. Truth be told, not all of it excites me. I don't think anyones goes into this career saying "Gee, I can't wait to deal with angry parents!" or "Wow, managing a building budget is super exciting!"

That being said, there are parts of this job that make me giddy inside. I cannot wait to greet kids in the morning. I cannot wait to visit classrooms each and every day, watching the lightbulbs go on, and learning alongside them. I cannot wait to work through authentic learning experiences with amazing staff members--challenging them--pushing them--supporting them on their own learning journeys. I cannot wait to meet parents and hear about the gift that is their child. I cannot wait for school concerts and picnics and recess and lunch and all of the other interactions when I can hear laughter, see smiles, and experience learning memories together. The support I have already received from my new administration has warmed my heart. The kind notes I have already read from my new staff have filled my soul.

But, I know I will make mistakes. It is inevitable. These mistakes will shape me, guide me, and move me forward on my own learning journey. I welcome that personal growth.

So, let the game begin. Welcome to the "Show." Nothing left to do, but to do it! Thanks for following along on this adventure with me.

Ready to Learn,

~Angela