I don’t go to work. I go to school! While I “work at a school” and it is my job, I rarely say I am going to work. Something I hope to recall as an administrator (hopefully someday soon) is that I have the most amazing job in the world. I get to go to school every day and inspire the incredible. I get the chance to, as Kid President would say (and my theme for this year), BE MORE AWESOME! I use the word awesome a lot, probably beyond its intended meaning, but if people can misuse rigor, then I can misuse awesome.
Not every moment of every day is fun. I know that as a leader it will not be either. But, I have to keep in mind, that if I am not having fun working at a school, working with teachers and children, it is not the job that isn’t right, it is me!
I am not sure how someone can work at a school and not be having fun more times than not. If you are, it is not something wrong with the kids or school, it is in the way you are doing things. I will probably not love filling out reports, (I already don’t love that) but as an administrator what I know I will love, is interacting with kids, watching great teaching, helping teachers who are not at the point where every day is great or fun, and seeing a school develop as a community.
Perhaps it is an optimism versus pessimism concept, though I have always considered myself a pragmatist. When it comes to school as a teacher, I focus on the things I love, the parts that bring me joy. That is not to say I don’t do the other things, but when I look back on my day/week/year, I won’t remember the forms and paper work, I will remember the awesome, and that is why “working” at a school is incredible.
The Teacher's Journey 