I have been pondering this post for some time. Not sure if I wanted to write it, yet knowing I needed to. So here goes. Over the last few years, I have not felt like myself, yet have always acted like myself- meaning I have never wavered from staying true to who I am. I did not fall into the games played by egos, but always work from the heart in support of others. I have not been able to lead with my passions or skills, yet always led with heart. I have endured a lot, yet I have learned even more. And although I always, always, always put my heart and soul into my work and those I work with, in the back of my mind and deep in my soul, I knew I needed to take another leap. So here we go, embarking on another new journey. This one filled with hope, excitement and possibilities. I am ready for a reboot. I interviewed for my new Edtech position about a month ago, in which one of the "off script" questions began with "Well you know your reputation precedes you..." And I was taken aback. My first thought was "Is this a standard question?". My second thought was "Ummm is that a good or bad?". Upon leaving, I asked a friend from the organization if this was a typical question, to which the response was "No, you have a great reputation in the Edtech circles". And again, I was taken aback.
Now I am not telling this story to "toot my own horn", I am telling this story because I FORGOT that I even had a horn to begin with! I had completely forgotten about that life that I used to live. I realized that I had been out of the game for two years! I did not remember all of the presentations, talks, connections, collaborations, creativity that used to fill me up! And although I tried my darnedest to infuse good pedagogy and Edtech into all that I did in my admin job (ELA/SLA/ELD for 29 elementary schools- seems like a no-brainer, right?), I was met with a lot of confusing barriers. I had forgotten that those parts of me were actually positive parts. And once I had that realization, there was no question on what I had to do. I had to follow my passion, I had to follow my heart and I had to embark on a new journey where I can live my calling (my original 6 word memoir): "One who encourages and inspires others". So with that, I am so excited to be going to a place that not only sees and accepts the skills and passions I bring to the table, but are the reason I was hired. I am so excited to get back to supporting educators, families and students in the way that my heart has been aching to do. In the way that I have tried over the last few years, but have failed. And you know me- #failforward all the way. I learned and hopefully have grown a lot during my "pause" which I will take forward and use for good. So, I will begin this journey with these famous words "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years..." (Thanks LL). I do not look at this as a restart- because I am not starting over. I am using all my trials, tribulations, triumphs, successes and failures as feedback to best support others forward. That is why I am calling this a "reboot". I have taken the three weeks between jobs to do a lot of reflection. To reset my personal and professional goals, to jump into this next phase refreshed (because we all know we needed that after last year!), I feel realigned and renewed and am ready to re-enter this world of Edtech and support! My call to action is this: After this crazy year, take a little time to yourself to "reboot". To reset, refresh, realign, renew and move forward. And don't forget to breathe. And do yourself a favor, write it out- it is so damn cathartic! And if you want to go one step further, write it out to your future self with "Future Me". You can send an email to yourself in the future (it works!), then you can use that for your next reboot forward.
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Mother, Teacher, Administrator, Presenter, GCE Level 1 & 2, Encourager of others.
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February 2023
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