Fall has arrived and with it comes the early morning crispness in the air. Of course in my climate, low 60’s this time of year is considered cool and crisp. Fall though for me, has always been a breakpoint to look back on past accomplishments and look ahead towards the future and what we want to make of it.

Six weeks into this new combination job I inherited, Lower School Principal/ Academic Coordinator K-12, I have advanced to the second stage of awareness. I now know most of what I don’t know. That’s an improvement from those first weeks when everything seemed to come out of left field with no prior warning. Letters that had to be written, policies that need to be implemented and problems that needed immediate solutions, no time to sit and think just make it happen. Now I’ve become aware of what to plan for, not that you can plan for everything, but it’s nice to be able to anticipate which direction my world is spinning. We still deal with the daily trials and tribulations of every day school life but they can be managed effectively because I’m learning what to expect. More importantly the faculty has become more familiar with what I expect of them. Competent people fear change because when it occurs it makes them feel incompetent for a period of time and no one likes that feeling. However, I’m also confident in the knowledge that it is a choice to remain in the state of incompetence. I choose to move on, and eagerly anticipate the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. The future holds more awareness but also more technology implemented in the classroom. We will also prioritize curriculum mapping which communicates our vision and teaching more with the end goals in mind.

This journey is very similar to the hero’s journey in literature. Before they can master the new world, they must deal with adversity but once they conquer adversity they find themselves masters, or at least competent, in both worlds.