Being in a Good Place

Well… I’ve fallen behind the blog… and truly, this is a good problem to have. I must admit, I am in a good place. It takes some time to reflect and think about what’s important. This is not to say that I have it all figured out but I am certainly on the right path. It’s funny when you make a life changing decision that it was meant to be that way. This is not about surrendering or acceptance. It’s about wholeheartedly believing that we are meant to do something and deep down inside we know what it is. Sounds flakey, I know. I would be the last person talking like this. Come on… I just found out that I quite enjoy looking at a bunch of data. Hello? Me? The extroverted, can’t keep my mouth shut kinda girl likes sifting through data and updating information? That would have never made my radar 5 years ago or even 10. Nope. Never thought.

As unpredictable and uncertain my life is right now, I am learning. I have wonderful mentors. I have many cheerleaders and supporters. I am engaged in what I love to do. I am moving forward in my pedagogical journey. I am an edu-explorer and tickled pink by what I am learning. I am humbled by who I get to work with. I love that I am autonomous in my work. It’s a nice feeling when I get excited about the little things. For example, sending out emails for a research study may not provoke many to stand up and cheer. Well, I’m doing the happy dance. I never thought that was possible. Finding my why guides my decision making. I feel purposeful and honoured to serve others as an educator, school trustee, and researcher. This is a good place to be.

This brings me to this photo. Where am I? I am standing in front of Cooks Jewelers, absolutely WET, in Prince Rupert, BC taking selfies in various places downtown. What a beautiful metaphor. I could focus on the RAIN or the closure of a long standing businesses like McLean & Rudderham. Instead, I appreciate where I came from and enjoyed my time venturing out on my own (without an umbrella) to several Prince Rupert landmarks remembering the good times and my childhood. It’s been almost 30 years since I left Prince Rupert. I am quite fond of my hometown and so happy to bump into so many familiar faces during my brief time in Prince Rupert. Had I not been doing the work that I do now, I would not have returned back to Prince Rupert to learn about all the wonderful educational programs Charles Hays Secondary School is offering in partnership with various community agencies. I am grateful.

In the end, consider life… well, in my case, professional life… an adventure. I love where I am but I don’t expect to be here for very long. For the past 5 years, I’ve been on an edu-exploration to discover my likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and what resonates with me or not. I am an experiential learner. I could have just stayed in my job 5 years ago, but I was so misaligned that I would have been on long term disability or something like that. Deep down inside I knew I was meant to do something else. It was time. I resisted. I did not follow my intuition, got sick, and quit. It has taken me 5 years to rebuild myself, restore my faith in education, and find my why. Today, I am absolutely stoked about education and the difference we can make in the learning experiences of students. This is my purpose. Everything I do is aligned to this. Will I return back to teaching? I am teaching and it’s one step at a time.