Walk Behind Them

Read it again. Can we talk about this statement for a second? This is a capture from Intentional Innovation by A.J. Juliani and THIS is why I do what I do. All the data and all the technology and all the innovation in the world doesn't mean squat if we don't have the relationships in place. This is my 16th year in education. Kind of hard to believe knowing that I almost lost my full scholarship after just one semester of college. (That's another story for another time...) I've never wanted to be anything else. Then why do I find myself doubting my work so much this year? Last night in my own home I spent hours talking to my husband about how I feel lost and frustrated with what I'm doing. I questioned if I was making a difference, how I could make a bigger difference, talked about how I was wrestling with what I'm doing and why. He offered no real advice but did at least listen. But, where is the advice? Where is the someone telling me what to do with...

Well, I had some processing to do after that last post. Wow. As much as I run my mouth pretty much constantly and work really hard to tell people exactly how I feel, that was a hard one. It doesn't feel good to feel vulnerable. Especially about my personal thoughts and feelings, which I pretty much hide all the time. I used the second part of my week last week differently than the first part and I think it was good. But it's going to take some time for me to get the hang of it. I didn't make it to every grade level like I wanted to because other things got in the way. Could I have just not done the other things to be able to actually coach and do my job? That's another post for another day... Today - Feedback vs. Advice. That's what it all boils down to this time. Recently I read an article ( Seven Keys to Effective Feedback by Grant Wiggins ) about providing feedback. It was mostly about providing feedback to students, but there were also quite a few state...

This is the first post in a new journey for me. I love sharing thoughts and feelings, but I only want to share when I feel safe. This does not feel safe. Regardless, here it all comes. I think it's important that you know that very rarely will you see me cry. But, this is being typed through tears. I am hypercritical of everything I do. I've been told I hold myself to ridiculous standards and that I hold others to those same standards, which is extra ridiculous because no one else could ever reach them. I was taught from a very young age that you give 110% of yourself to everything you do 110% of the time. That's the standard I hold myself to. It has taken me many years to accept the reality that what my 110% looks like may not be what someone else's 110% looks like. Sometimes people are doing the best they can. That doesn't have to mean the best I can. Their best looks different from mine and that's ok. Honestly, I think I do a really good job with this ...