My compass was needed this week...

I have been writing this post since Monday and it has been all over the map.  I have need a compass to make it through this week and to help guide my thinking.  It started on Monday with the "education high" I was on after finishing my class at Sonoma State.  Eight principals from the district are take a seminar class together and it has been great.  Not only have the content inspired me, I have been able to get to know the other principals better. One of the outcomes I have had from this class is organizing inspiring guest speakers and trainers for our district's two upcoming Common Core trainings for secondary.  However, as I was leaving the class on Monday, I was in need of my compass to direct me and refocus me.

My Asst. Sup. texted me that the Common Core planning committee went a different direction on Monday and did not want the guest speakers.  I was crushed at first, I wanted them for myself.  They are fabulous presenters.  Besides my personal feelings, I knew they have a message that the teachers and secondary admin, in my district, needed to hear.  My friend quickly grabbed my compass and came to my defense.  She called the Asst. Sup as we were walking to the car.  I was lost in my own thoughts at this point in time and decided to just drive home to think.  After getting home, my friend called my with an update on her talk with the Asst. Sup. After taking in all this information, I realized that many of the people planning this day don't fully understand the common core.  This just reaffirmed my thoughts that the guest speakers were needed even more so than before.  I needed to grab my compass and help lead the way again.

On Tuesday, I went and found staff members who were attending the Thursday planning meeting and I  lobbied for what I wanted.  I talked to my colleagues who I knew would agree with me and lobbied them. Finally, around 4pm, my compass lead me to my Asst. Sup's office and we had a great talk.  She understood my points and also helped me to see where I needed to reflect on my own practice to continue to improve.  I left her office knowing the speakers are back on and that my compass had not been pointed in the wrong direction, it just took me on a side trip.

To me, the issues wasn't just about getting to see great speakers (and they are great speakers).  It is about the need to educate ourselves and help others to see where they need to grow.  The workshops that were being planned were not going to accomplish this

The best reward for my struggles this week was a text that my friend.  She sent to me the picture to the left.  It is of the brainstorming from the CCSS committee she ran today created while discussing next steps in Common Core implementation.  The picture speaks for itself!  The bottom bullet made me feel validated.  Way to go compass!

The pearl of wisdom for this post: Change is hard.  Common Core is forcing us to change the way we do things.  We can roll with it or be the wall the tries to stop it.  I like to roll...compass continue to guide me.