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.
Slowing down to move forward
