Invest now, so we will thrive later!  See this situation as an opportunity!  This sounded really good at first.  I was pumped the first week, but the reality of the situation had not hit me.  I don’t know what I was thinking, but I guess I saw this pandemic situation just as a short term challenge to be overcome.  I suppose I figured we would have a couple of weeks where we educators could recharge, use the time away to learn more to make us better at what we do, and then come back more tech savvy and ready to see our kids again. Wow. I definitely was in denial.

Personally, I thought this time would be a fantastic opportunity for me to hone my skills.  I thought I would have tons of time to learn, grow, and reflect–a type of sabbatical.  Our kids would be okay, our teachers would thrive, and we would come out stronger as a result…like I said, the reality had not hit me.  Now I find that if I’m not careful I can become consumed with worry–worry for our students, staff, my own family, and all those who are touched by the illness.

Last week I realized that I needed to come to terms with the reality of the situation.  I had to recognize it for what it is, grieve the losses we are experiencing, but not stay there.  School has changed.  Distance Learning means Distance Leading, so now I am trying to figure out what that really means for me.  What does being a good leader look like when you are leading from afar? How can I structure my days to make that happen?

This week I’ll be working hard on fine-tuning my focus, goals, rituals, and routines.  I know focus and discipline are important, especially when trying to be productive when working at home.  The challenge will come when balancing being responsive to staff and families with productivity on work projects AND taking advantage of spontaneous learning opportunities.  I’ve got my schedule set, now I’ll just take it one day at a time.