I said I’d never do it. I said I’d never leave the
classroom. I’ve had feelings of doubt, anxiety, and even betrayal in coming to
this decision. How could I leave when I knew that teaching was my calling, my
passion, and something I loved more than words could describe? Teaching has
been my oxygen for ten years, and I wasn’t sure I could even know how to
breathe without it.
However, there’s also something to be said about wanting to
reach more, do more, achieve more, and grow more. Though being highly involved
in education has been and will continue to be important to me, no amount of
committees, publications, projects, or fellowships could fulfill the desire I
have to lead others to become great.
So, how did it all happen? In the blink of an eye. Last night,
I was a teacher. Today, I am an assistant principal. Last night, I hung my
posters in my classroom, and today I was given more keys than I can count.
To say that this was difficult would be a huge
understatement. I choke up when I think about not teaching every day, and as I
looked into my students eyes last night and introduced myself as their teacher,
I knew there’d be a chance that I wouldn’t be, so I savored that moment. I also
knew that I might be given the opportunity to not only impact that child, but
other children in many different ways.
My faith is hugely important to me, and to most this might
sound crazy, but there’s no question I was called to do this. It is an act of
obedience on my part, though it’s bittersweet, to say the least. It's challenging thinking of
the transition of bringing in another teacher to take my place. For every child
that’s been misunderstood and craves getting in trouble because they’ll get the
only attention they know how to receive, for every child that’s brilliant but
needs someone as quirky as them in which to relate, for every parent that feels
like they’re not heard, and for every teacher
that’s been blocked in some way when they’ve tried to do right by their kids; I
stepped up and answered the call. Ever since I was little, I looked at
organizations, and I looked at their leaders, and if they were good, I wanted
to be like them. If they weren’t, I learned how not to be. Fortunately, I’ve
worked with many great people, and I’ve been mentored and encouraged to step
into a leadership role by those influential people, and I listened to them.
I’ve come to a place where I know that while my role has
changed, the fact that I am a teacher will never change. It’s become part of my
identity, and I don’t ever want to lose that. In the words of Sarah Wessling,
“teachers only really leave their classrooms when they forget to take them with
them” and I will never forget to take mine with me.
It’s my mission to still get up everyday and know I am going
to serve our students, and in that process I hope I can support teachers,
allowing them to reach students while also achieving their own goals. I think
this is the greatest profession that exists, and I believe we need leaders in
these positions that love teaching. I’ve been honored to work for administrators
that embody that philosophy. I dream of being like the role models I follow who
ensure me that I’ll be able to form positive relationships with even more students if I choose to do so. I
hope I never forget what it’s like to be in the trenches so that I can support
the great work we do, and I hope I never lose the heart and passion for
children who need a hero. I hope I can help parents see that the school their
child is at is a good place that
wants the best for them, can foster environments that do want the best for all kids. I hope to remind the community that
we need them too. I pray that all these
stakeholders work together, not
against each other.
I hope I can be “one of the good ones,” and I hope I can
still profess to love my job as much as I have the past ten years, but mostly,
I hope I can find a way to impact more students, and build relationships with
them like I have never before.
I can’t help but think that a little over a year ago, I was
also answering a call, and relying on my faith to get me through the fact that
I didn’t have a job at all. I walked away from one of the greatest districts in
the state, incredible educators, and a program I literally built from the
ground up. I was in search of growth and change and there wasn’t a doubt in my
mind it was what I was supposed to do. My friends thought I was nuts. They
thought I was even crazier when I passed up opportunities until I found what I
was looking for. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but when I found it….. I
knew. My faith matched my fear, but I persevered.
Fast-forward a year later, and now I didn’t even have to
look. I am in a district that is also one of the best in the state, working with incredible educators, and again got to build innovative systems. God just gave it to me. I’ve got many fears, but also have a faith that
leads me to believe that though this may be challenging, it’s right; and right
is never easy.
It’s also really, really exciting, and I can’t believe it. I
am sincerely humbled and honored by this appointment, and I can think of no
better place to start the next chapter in my journey.
