THE BEGINNING

    As I sat down to write this blog this evening I had a friend shoot me a text that said I could borrow a tool that I had asked to borrow. I knew with it getting late and him having a new baby in the house I should head to his house before it gets too late. Once I got there, I was quickly reminded that in fact, life is unpredictable by nature. You see, what went from a small conversation suddenly turned into chasing his dog, trying to stop him from going full nose into the back of a skunk on the run. Inevitably, we were a bit too late. Luckily for us, we got to spend the next 30 minutes in his front yard giving his dog a bath in tomato juice, his wife locking the front door and us soaking in the smell of a horrific skunk.

     As I drove home, it helped remind me that no matter how well you think you have it planned, you don't. And if you expect things to always go how you plan, well at some point you're in for heartbreak and disappointment. Let me explain.

    I recently took a job in a new district (CBCSD) after my first two years as a classroom teacher in Treynor, while previously working in the #CBCSD district as a para professional. Maybe traditionally this wouldn't be a huge jump, but this year I was returning to a program that I had once worked at and in my opinion offers some of the greatest challenges and opportunities a teacher could ever encounter. The program is very unique and offers students from all makes of life the chance to have a high quality education in a unique setting that meets their needs specifically.

    This program is something that weighed heavily on my mind while working in the Treynor District. I wasn't sure what about it intrigued me at the level it did, but something in the back of my mind was always tugging at my thoughts. For those of you who aren't familiar, my previous district Treynor is also a tremendous district with an incredible staff and outstanding facilities and support, really first rate. Almost daily though, I would be asking myself if I was doing what I wanted to, what I needed to be doing with my skills.  Once an opportunity came along to work back in CBCSD, I knew that I had to jump at it and return to the program that I first felt passion for education in.

     Without getting into a ton of detail, the program is a tremendous fit for students that meets and exceeds their needs; in my opinion in ways that some districts aren't able to. With all of this said, it offers challenges that I couldn't have dreamed of at my previous job. In just a few short days, I've been challenged in ways that have left me sleepless and leaving work with my brain going in thirty different ways.

    The challenges are great, and at times can be overwhelming. I want to be able to challenge the students in real life, hands-on educational ways where they are exploring, learning and inquiring in ways that will enhance them as members of society. With that said, it's a gentle tight rope of challenging them and not overwhelming them. Differentiating and adapting my instruction for each individual student in my classroom is a constant challenge. So as I went back to work this morning the nerves and expectations I have set continued to fill my mind.

    Suddenly as I walked into my classroom after a brief before school meeting and I saw a few of my students, it was as though the slate had been wiped clean. The day was new and I had the chance to help them again with brand new opportunities. Suddenly I realized what I would be forced to remind myself hours later this evening; no matter how well you think you have it planned you don't, and if you expect things to always go according to plan, you're in for frustration and disappointment.

    I felt as though my previous day was a tough day and I reminded myself that in education the reason tough days sometimes sting so much, is because you are invested so heavily. However, that is the only way to go about life: invested. Learning to meet these new and unpredictable challenges while being heavily invested is one of the most cherish-able opportunities any teacher could ask for.  All the while being ready for the plan to go out the window and meet the needs of the student as it arises.

  This blog will be about the coming days and years where we as a district and program work to help these students be successful in new ways, while sharing with you the awesome and exciting things that can be done with the right team in place.