Growing and Learning Through Change

Reading and reflecting on the quote "Change is an opportunity to do something amazing." I can't help but think about what has happened in my life the last couple of months, and the number of changes that have occurred. When I consider the quote, I think about how these changes are providing opportunities for some amazing things.  Most of these changes have been professional in nature, but their impact has be very personal. 

• Graduating in May with my Ed.D. has brought about a number of changes. My dissertation on principal practices that impact teacher collaboration led to opportunities to provide professional development for teachers and administrators on this topic. Finishing my doctorate has also  provided me with the opportunity to spend more time with my family. One of the best parts of my summer was discovering that both of my daughters have a love for thrill rides. So we spent many summer days at Six Flags Great America riding roller coasters. 

• This school year I started my twentieth year in education. Each year brings a new chapter and changes. While this is my fifth year as a principal, it is my first year as the principal of Alice Gustafson Elementary School and Early Childhood Center. Being charged to lead another building in the district has already provided me with  many opportunities to do some amazing things. Before the year stated I intentionally read books on leadership and made the decision to implement what I learned.  My focus is on building meaningful relationships with staff and students. We have embarked on exploring Twitter as a staff through our Twitter Bingo Challenge, trying out Voxer as a new way to connect, and we have launched a whole staff  Kids Deserve It book study. 

• The last two changes were two things that I recently pursued. After years of lurking on Twitter and mostly following sports and other interests, I made the decision to connect with other educators by participating in a number of different Twitter chats. I have been amazed at how much I have learned, as well as the connections that I have made. In addition to becoming engaged on Twitter, I decided to be vulnerable and share my story through blogging. Blogging has allowed me to reflect and think about my practices and beliefs. This exercise  has given me the opportunity to share my story with educators from all over the country. I have also benefited greatly from the stories of other educators.  Sharing stories and experiences has provided me with new ideas to consider and wonderful ways to grow and innovate.  

The most important thing about all of these changes is that it has made me really think about how to provide amazing opportunities for our students.