Day 1 Jitters

“If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.” - Billy Joel

Over the past few months, I started to realize that I was no longer doing what I loved. I had fallen into that trap of doing what was comfortable. I was good at it and my efforts were appreciated, but my job and the district had changed to a point where I no longer was happy with my career direction. As luck (and hard work) would have it, I was presented with a unique opportunity to disrupt my routine and jump at a new challenge. I was hesitant, because after all I was snuggled down in my comfort zone, but I knew that taking on a new challenge was what I needed.

So today, I woke up and had to get ready for a new job in a new district. For the first time in several years, I had those first day jitters. My mind was awash with mundane questions:

• What should I wear?
• Who will I meet?
• What will they think of me?
• Did I make the right choice?
• Should I pack or buy my lunch?
• Oh God, am I ready for this challenge?

Then it dawned on me, that the last time I felt this way I had moved to a new school district and was off to my first day of high school. I was just like a student off to their first day of school in a new district. Do I approach the day with jitters or excitement for the possibilities that will surround me?

Just when I pulled into the parking lot of my new district, I received this picture of my nephew heading off to his first day of Kindergarten. I looked at his face and saw joy, optimism, and happiness. This was a kid ready to see where that yellow bus was going to take him. He left for school full of curiosity looking for a school that would encourage his creativity and open the world to him.

Then I remembered @chrislehmann talking about dropping his son off at school and thinking “please don’t screw him up too bad today” at the #LHS1to1 conference last week. My nephew left for school this morning thinking that this magic yellow bus was going to take him to a kingdom that was mystical and would change his world. I hope that my nephew has every one of his expectations exceeded about what an amazing place school can truly be when learning is personalized. I hope he comes home with his first day questions answered and ready to head off tomorrow with even more enthusiasm and joy.

So instead of setting off on a yellow bus this morning, I had the luxury of motoring down I-77 in my Eos convertible to see what day one would bring for me. After all, I questions that I needed answered, I had people to meet, I had relationships to build, I had a new challenge waiting for me.

By the end of my day, I had answers to all my questions from this morning:

• What should I wear? khaki skirt and striped button down - professional not flashy
• Who will I meet? lots of enthusiastic educators who are dedicated to changing the lives of students
• What will they think of me? so far they like me :-)
• Did I make the right choice? Absolutely!
• Should I pack or buy my lunch? Buy, there’s a great cafe around the block
• Oh God, am I ready for this challenge? YES!

And now I’m working on my list of questions for day two and beyond because I’m excited to come back tomorrow.