Star Realignment

During this past week, just as bit of luck and positive energy were shifting back in my direction, a friend said to me, “the stars are realigning”. I learned last Monday that the chance of a lifetime landed in the lap of one of my dear friends and colleagues. He and his wife have the chance to move to the land of Jefferson who wrote, “where has Nature spread so rich a mantle under the eye mountains, forests, rocks, rivers…with what majesty do we there ride above the storms! how sublime to look down into the workhouse of nature, to see her clouds, hail, snow, rain, thunder…”. OK, Jefferson was talking about Monticello and Mr. A is moving the Charlottesville, but you get the idea. These kinds of opportunities don’t just happen for independent school history teachers. T-minus 7 days for me to find a history teacher.

Top Ten Ways to Approach This
10.Cry — I did get teary
9. Ask for help
8. Take one thing at a time
7. Look for the small solutions
6. Buy your son “Everything is Awesome” and listen to it on the way to work
5. Buy the above song and set as the default ringtone (in the effort to surround yourself with positive thoughts)
4. Pull on your inner Food Czar and write a spoof to Ariana Grande’s “Problem”
3. Open your mind to things you haven’t thought of
2. Ask for more help
1. Talk to lots of people and listen — both candidates and others to get their opinions

I found 2 new teachers for my school this week, wonderful additions to our community who will do great things for our students.Through the week I found myself being more open to possibility and embracing the challenges of the job. The net effect is that I am very much looking forward to our new faculty orientation and all the possibilities for the school year ahead.

One other thing happened this week: answering an email for my high school’s alumni association I synthesized my teaching vision statement:
Helping people learn how to learn is what I am passionate about. When you unlock for someone how to learn new things, you sow the seeds of innovation and invention. Couple that with teaching the why of doing things and you have the potential to make the world a better place.
This, too, echoes star realignment. I found a way to express how to marry my background as a history teacher with my new passion – innovation and invention. The same stars, just a different pattern.

Reflection is key to my success. Life gives little time for this. Friday night is my deadline.