This is a one of my favorite times of the year. I enjoy scrolling through social media seeing all the ways schools across the state honor their teachers. COVID or not, they deserve it and more. Sure this was a tough year, but this is tough work with or without the challenges that COVID brought us. I've written plenty about my respect for teachers, but today I am taking a different turn. I want to show some respect for My teachers.
Next year I will taking a new position and leaving the building I have served for the past ten years. I remember being told all those years ago that I was getting the best teachers in the district. At the time I took this as lip service to a certain degree. As it turns out, this assessment was more than accurate. The teachers at Central Junior High School will always be the standard of comparison for me for the rest of my career. There are lots of reasons for this, but let me hit the highlights.
CJHS teachers care about each other. I know this could be said about a lot of teaching staffs, but I have always felt mine is different. Yes, they have always helped each other when someone struggles. But they also help each other when things are going well. They share their professional learning and push each other to do better. The field of education is a exercise in work that is never done and requires a continuous effort. They continuously support each other because they know what I know, when teachers are at their best then kids can be at their best.
CJHS teachers care about our kids. I'm not just talking about grades. I'm not just talking about test scores. Junior high kids are at a crossroads in their academic and social lives and these folks understand this. They are not afraid to form critical relationships that help every kid feel special and worthy. This is special to me, because I was one of those kids that needed that when I was in school. They celebrate them when they do well and their hearts hurt when they are struggling. I've always said that heartbreak is a quality of a good teacher and they definitely show heart in their work.
CJHS teachers care about me. I often tell colleagues that I am spoiled with a great teaching staff. My next stat that I like to brag about is that we had a stretch of a about five or six years where we had no turnover in the teaching staff. We have stuck together because they have been willing to give me a chance and I am forever grateful for that. I seem to always be coming up with some new adventure for them that is aimed at serving our students. I have had some good ideas and a bunch of not so good ones (Redbird Karate). Nevertheless, they take the ride with me and challenge me when it needs to be done.
I don't feel that I can ever honor this school family properly. I have experienced more professional growth at this school than ever because of them. I am a better school leader because of them and I will always compare other schools by their example. At the end of my career I will be proud to say that I spent nearly a third of it at this wonderful place. Leaving them will be very difficult, but it brings me peace that they will treat the next principal the same way.
If you have ever taught at Central Junior High with us, thank you for the last ten years. It has been an honor to serve with you and a blessing to know you.
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