Synchronicity in School

I am now officially handing over the reins to the Middle School, and as much as it pains me, it is good.

It is synchronicity that makes it feel good. I met the gentleman who is taking over when I was dealing with the issues of possessiveness I was feeling over the program, and he got it in the first interview. After many interviews, when he joined the staff, I started to feel better about the whole thing.

We sat down one day over coffee to start looking at what he needed to do for this coming September, and I came away from that meeting feeling like I could safely hand over my baby, and I told him so. From then on, it's been a meeting of minds in a way that is rare and special. I feel good about this.

We've met many times since, sometimes more, sometimes less formally, to discuss each and every aspect of the program, and the more I see how he thinks, the way he makes connections, the way he learns and the way he wants this to work, the better I feel. I feel good, for me, and for my students, and at this point, I don't know which is more impressive or important.

I am so dedicated, have such high standards, and am so incredibly protective of the students, that I may as well be their second mother. When we went out on field trips, people would often assume the four boys were all my children. We laughed and joked about it, and one of them would even call me Mom when we were out. The attachment I feel towards my students is part of the reason I have been such a successful teacher. They know that I care for them and want the best for them, and they respond to that. So to say that I am trust this other teacher to care for them is saying a lot.

As far as this program (my program), it is like a child to me. I birthed it, I nurtured it, I defended it, I let it grow, and now I am giving it independence and putting it in the hands of another. And to say I trust him to deliver, develop, and continue my work is really something. And it feels incredible, to be able to hand it over with such confidence, to know that we have a shared vision, and to see how he sees it.

Now don't get me wrong, I will still be involved. We will continue to sit and work things out, and throw ideas around, and I still have a lot to pass on, in terms of details and operations and the day to day running of things. But the big stuff is all under way. And the big change is that I am now comfortable, yes, comfortable, taking a back seat, and allowing him to lead the way, acting as a guide, much like I did with my students.

It is really a wonderfully liberating experience, and as much as I still want to be the one in the classroom, and as much as I still want to bear witness to the development of these amazing young people, I am content to watch from afar, and take pride and pleasure in their achievements from my couch.

Aaaaaahhhh,