I love to write things I can look back on. Honest things, that one day I might need to read to remind myself. Tomorrow will be my first official day as an administrator. I know, if you look at my heart under the world’s most powerful microscope, you’ll see the word “Teacher” scribbled in a Sharpie. A permanent mark. One that will always make sure that there are things I never forget.
I hope I never forget that the magic in a kid’s eye when he accomplishes something that was a struggle, exists, and it’s amazing. I hope I never forget what it’s like to have a problem that nobody else can understand the perspective of, because they are not in that situation, with that group of kids, all day long. I hope I never forget that there are times when people need you to reach out to them, more than they even realize and just don’t have the strength to reach out themselves. I hope I never forget what it’s like to lay awake at night worrying about a student, so much that it’s like that student is your own child. I hope I never, ever forget that school is a place of collaboration; where listening to the ideas of my colleagues is bound to make me reflect harder and together we can all come up with even better ideas. I hope I never, ever forget that when inspiration runs low, there’s a kid, or a teacher, somewhere waiting to inspire me if I am just aware. I hope I always keep my eyes open.
I hope I never forget that people matter. All people. The people who taught me. The people I collaborated with then and now. The people who led me. The people who reminded me that no matter the day, we were “Livin’ the Dream.” The people who have inspired me so much that we packed up our family and moved 700 miles away to be at a place that I believe in so very much, I can’t even really put it into words.
I also hope I never, ever forget how hard teaching is. How there are days that rip your heart out and days that overflow your spirit. Every single day is about learning. It’s about relationships. It’s about inspiring each other to become better versions of ourselves than we even ever realized we could.
Most of all? I hope I always remember that there is no such thing as “perfect.” School is a place where we all bring our strengths to the table. Where we help each other find strengths we didn’t even know we had. A place where we are constantly seeking improvement. Not looking to be better than each other, but looking to be better for each other.
I hope I never forget that.