Chronicling the day on paper is nearly impossible, but through this blog I am attempting to capture the essence of the journey of the SAMs project. Today found me arriving at school at 6:00 a.m. – why? you may wonder, well I had to depart by 3:15 p.m. for a doctor’s appointment and, as you well know, the paperwork and planning still has to be addressed. Getting to school early allowed for an hour of uninterrupted office time (punctuated with two cups of coffee!) and then I was off to visit a teacher who had requested to talk with me. With the SAMs project, it is rare that a teacher will schedule a meeting with me since they know they will see me during the course of the day, so I knew the meeting was important to this teacher. The basic premise of the conversation was that the teacher felt that she and I were not as “connected” this year as we had been in the past. After some thought-provoking discussion, it became clear what the issue was. This year, when the teacher had her plan time, I was in classrooms, thus reducing the opportunity to touch base. Through our intimate conversation, we addressed the issue head on and worked on some alternative times to meet or for me to spend time in her classroom. Most importantly, was my realization that if this person – a seasoned, self-confident teacher – was feeling disconnected with me was that I have to make a concerted effort to ensure that this doesn’t happen in the future. There were additional sidebar conversations about students, instruction, etc. The conversation ended with a hug and a new depth of understanding on both of our parts. I am thankful to have a staff that trusts in me, themselves, and the importance of open and honest communication. There is no doubt in my mind that the trust factor is one of the underlying tenets of the success of the SAMs project.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking a new landscape, but in seeing with new eyes.” ~Marcel Proust
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