Week 5 Reflection: Into October

So my first full month of being a supervisor of students and teachers is over and I have to say, it was way easier than I expected it to be. I guess easy isn't the right word...more like way less stressful than I thought. The admin team Parker has put together is amazing. Everyone is involved in all decisions, aware of everything going on, and willing to do anything to help each other out, which is especially nice for the new guy (me). But even more than the admin team, the 25 teachers I work with have made this transition awesome for me. I have tried really hard to make this first month about getting to know everyone and familiarizing myself with the curricula, but I also had certain responsibilities to take care of. I have received absolutely zero pushback from anyone, no matter what conversation we had to have. Every single person working with me in STEM wants what's best for the kids, no matter what.

Some of my highlights in September:

1. I got to see every teacher at least once each week.

2. I was able to post to #PirateSTEM everyday...check out the amazing stuff going on at the Creek!

3. The recycling program is picking up steam...hopefully more to follow in October.

4. Creek Pep Rallies are crazy and the sports teams are doing great so far!

Some of my struggles in September:

1. Realizing that my way isn't the only way to teach.

2. Learning to trust other people...as a teacher, you pretty much control everything that goes on in your class. As an administrator, you have to work with other people and trust them to do their part.

I think that in order for this to be a true reflection on my journey, I should comment a little on my personal life too. My son, Dominick, turned 1 in August and I was really worried that having a year-round job would hurt my relationship with him. I know most people work 12 months, but I didn't, so that was a big change for me, especially since my wife is a teacher too, so she is also off in July and August. I'm happy to say that we are still best friends and I've been able to balance my time pretty well. I usually get to see him between 4 and 5 pm and we roll around on the floor for a few hours each night until his bedtime. I use the time between our bedtimes to get schoolwork done and have been pretty efficient so far. I hope things keep going like this, but am cautiously optimistic.

Thanks for reading,

Bobby