For the past 11 years, I have had the privilege of teaching in a small-town school district. I taught second grade with a wonderful team of teachers who listened to and shared best practices. Then, at the end of last school year, I was given the chance to be our district’s first curriculum director. My emotions worked the entire spectrum. All summer I vacillated between excited, unease, and “What in the world did I do?”. Well, my first day finally arrived and I moved into my new office. It was strangely quiet on my first day of school…not the norm I was used to as an elementary school teacher. Though I missed my former students, I didn’t miss the other aspects of being in the classroom. This surprised me after my summer waffling. Another fact that caught me pleasantly off-guard…I loved my new job from the beginning! Since my entire career had been spent in elementary schools, I began doing some intense professional development. Here is where things got tricky. I love to learn. I love professional development. I also love to train people. The problem was every time I’d come back from a workshop, watch a webinar, or finish a book, I’d rush to my superintendent to tell him what we needed to be doing in our district. Add to these learning experiences, everything being pushed down from our DOE: new standardized assessments, RtI implementation, transition to CCSS, new science and math curriculum…well let’s just say I was getting overwhelmed, and the teachers were beyond stressed. A common mantra from my supe was “Janelle, you need to prioritize.” Oh, but I wanted to get all of these initiatives and practices in place right now! So, as the school year has moved on, I am adjusting to my new position. I have set personal goals. Our administrative team has set corporation goals. And I have to continue revisiting them to make sure what I’m currently researching is in alignment with our current goals. Through prioritizing, I’ve learned to slow down…and we are moving forward.