Today was my first day of New Staff Academy for my new teaching job and it could not have gone better. You could immediately sense during breakfast this morning how warm and welcoming my new district is. Every one was so kind and upbeat. All of the principals went around and introduced their new staff. And it wasn't just like, "Oh this is Sarah and she's teaching 3rd grade." It was a real introduction. Like your principal really knew you and you were being welcomed into the family with open arms. "This is Sarah Moore. She'll be teaching 3rd grade. She's from Lawrence. She graduated from KU. She has 3 years experience, and she recently got engaged!" How nice is that? The administrators talked about how there is no competition between schools. Everyone cares as much about the school down the road succeeding as they do their own. Principals led orientations on curriculum and instruction with as much knowledge and confidence as a veteran teacher/learning coach. I was super impressed. People joked and laughed and teased all day. It was fun! When I was working in my room the other day several teachers stopped by to introduce themselves and welcome me. All of them offered help if I needed anything.
I never felt this level of warmth and friendliness while working in Lawrence. Sure my close friends from Kennedy were fantastic and I love them. But I never felt that during professional development or district meetings. There certainly was no sense of community among the schools. It was obvious there was competition.
I just feel so grateful for this new position. My district has a strong reputation for being one of the best in Kansas. Teaching jobs there are highly sought after. This year they had almost 800 applicants and only hired 30 or so new employees. I have high hopes for a bright future and a great time while working for Auburn Washburn. Feeling good and loving the possibilities. :o)
No comments:
Post a Comment