Here I am, enjoying my last weekend before [officially] beginning the 2022-2023 school year! To be honest, I’m not looking forward to going back to work, and I think it’s okay to admit that. Summer is great! After the past several years of getting so much thrown at us, I think this is the first time I have taken a break of more than a week in about three years. And getting that break allowed me to take a step back and see just how worn out I really am. I feel like I’m just starting to recover to a baseline level, but it’s time to go again.

Beyond that, I’m heading into another year of change – my district’s third reorganization in 4 years. This year, I won’t have a team, so I’ll be working more independently and have less support than before. My workload is increasing, and I have some new responsibilities to figure out. A ton of people at the district office have left, so we have hired a bunch of new people – which will hopefully be invigorating, but it also means there will be a lot of building new relationships. I think that some of the changes will end up being positive in the long run, but right now, it feels overwhelming to head into yet another year of instability (beyond the inherent instability that comes from COVID and everything else going on in the world right now).

As I look ahead, ESPECIALLY as I am feeling less-than-excited to returning, I wanted to write down some commitments for myself for the year. I’m sure I won’t live up to these perfectly, but these are things I hope and aspire for to keep myself grounded in the midst of the madness!

• I will continue to invest time and energy into relationships. Even when that voice in the back of my head says, “Is it worth it, or will these people all be gone in a year?”, I believe that relationships are foundational in education and as co-workers, and I will put myself out there because of it.
• I will not let work take over my life. Sure, days can be frustrating, but I don’t need to dwell on it when I come home, when I go to bed, and when I wake up the next morning. There’s more to life!
• I will continue to advocate – for students, for those who don’t have a voice, and for myself. I know I can be a pest and a broken record, but the truth is, not all students are treated fairly. Not all staff members are treated fairly. It costs me something to speak up…but it also can’t be ignored!
• I will try to show up in a way that lifts others around me up. This is something I struggled with last year – as I was feeling so burned out, it was easier to complain or simply retreat into my shell. I don’t always know how to balance this with being honest and authentic and genuine, or how to mix this with practicing self-care, but I really want to try to be a force for good and not drag others down when I am feeling down.
• I will remember that my identity is not defined by what I do or what others think of me, but by the God who created me.