Lesson: Don't Get Too Comfortable

I've recently learned that my principal will not be returning next year and I have mixed feelings about her departure. On one hand I'm nervous; I've been working for her for 8 years and have become "fat and happy" (more like lazy and comfortable). I knew what to expect and what I could get away with. I don't think I turned in lesson plans for the majority of last year (even though it was "required").

On the other hand, though, I'm excited. I've let things slip and I'm ready to be held accountable again. I want someone to tell me when I'm slacking off...or at least to give me the look that tells me they know and are disappointed.

Most of all, I'm looking forward to a change in school culture. The outgoing principal had developed a habit of talking about people instead of talking to them. When I first started at the school, I misinterpreted her telling me what she disliked about other teachers; I thought it meant she liked what I was doing and was simply venting to me. It didn't take long for me to figure out that for every negative thing she told me about a colleague, she was saying something negative about me to someone else.

I'm now looking at the summer as a time to gear up. It's going to be like starting a whole new job in the fall, but I think I'm ready.