Year after year, educators come and go to new positions, new schools, new grades, and beyond. It’s pretty well known in careers that promotions occur, it’s time for a change, or new opportunities meet movement from one position to the next.
This summer, I left my former district after many years to join a neighboring district to create a specialized program on an elementary campus. While I am very excited for this opportunity, telling my paraprofessionals and staff who I have had connections with and built relationships overtime with was the hardest part of this decision.
Some may say that people need to get over feelings or it’s just a job. However, I struggle with saying “it’s just a job” when I spend many hours with so many people doing what’s best for the kids we serve. It’s all about the people! The people who check in on one another and build each other up. The people who know you’re having a rough time and check in on you. The people who encourage and build you up while telling you you’re a good teacher. It is those people whom I built a relationship with in my school and district community.
Ultimately, it’s the people that care about YOU that etches memories and connections into the heart and makes a job so much more than just a job. It’s the people along the way who care and who believe in YOU. It’s the people who are etched into your journey that makes you better.
Knowing that every position has built upon relationships, people who care about your students and staff, as well as time from day to day to year after year etches memories in the heart as well as into your journey along the way.
Connections truly make a difference in our work and in our own lives. Professionally, I have had a handful of positions in my educational career yet have connected with many over the years. I have a handful of connections that I still talk to this day. Connections take work as well as building relationships that last a lifetime.
As I reflected on this year and had many thoughts about my conversations and experiences from this year, I stumbled on this garden sign in my backyard. While not every PLN is a close friend, they are apart of my connections and PLN from the time they make an impact to what the future holds.
Elyse Hahne 