Professional Luggage

I love going on trips. I especially enjoy the packing that precedes going on trips. I'm a light packer, and I can expertly fit days of clothes, shoes, and accessories into one small suitcase. Remembering what to pack is easy for me, and if I forget something, I don't stress. I just make do without it or buy it when I get to my destination.

I'm in the process now of preparing for my big "trip" to Antonia Middle School, so you can imagine the packing (and purging) that's taking place, As I make decisions about what's going with me, what's going into storage, and what's going to the nearest dumpster, there are other choices to make and a few questions to answer. I realize that I have professional luggage. (Perhaps you do, too?)

One question I have is...
What will I intentionally pack to take with me? Of course I will pack supplies for my students and I to consume during next school year...the usual suspects: writing utensils, highlighters, sticky notes, paper, and chocolate, just to name a few. I also plan to pack my sense of humor (because it's quite handy on most days and in most situations). I also must take with me the many lessons I've learned over the past 16 years of teaching in an elementary setting. I'm sure most of the knowledge will transfer and apply.

​Another question I have is...
What will I intentionally not pack? I refuse to pack sad memories and bad habits. It's just that simple. Whatever happened in the past during my life as an educator needs to stay in the past. Only the lessons learned should travel with me... in a small carry-on perhaps?

Another important question to answer is...
What will I realize I didn't pack but will definitely need once I get there? I will not be able to take along my best colleagues and friends to teach alongside at my new post, and yet I will need them...for the move in, for support during the first quarter, and for some laughs and levity when things get stressful. I look forward to maintaining old relationships and starting new ones. I hope to make lasting connections with my future AMS colleagues.

And lastly...
What will I eagerly unpack? You can't imagine how excited I feel about starting over, about having fresh soil in which to grow and bloom as a professional. I openly embrace change and usually adapt well to newness. I will eagerly unpack my I-got-this mindset and my let's-do-this attitude. I think my positive vibe and my willingness to dig in and work hard will serve my students and 7th-Grade teammates. Hopefully what I unpack (besides supplies) will inspire others to follow my lead in and out of the classroom.

I have just three days left in my current position and building. I am savoring the time with my students, grade partners, and friends. And I am enthusiastically looking forward to my future at AMS!

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