All of us who are teachers know that new year’s day is actually the first day of September. It is a time of new beginnings, planning for the future, shopping for new clothes, and reflection on what happened in the last school year and how we can improve for the new one. We make resolutions to change the way we do things. We start out with optimism that the new year will be a “good” one.

This year I have hope that things in our school will change for the better. We have a new principal and he appears to have a vision of what he wants our school to be. He envisions us as the best high school in our division. He has high expectations of the students and the staff. If we are not living up to those expectations, then he will have those difficult conversations with us to make sure we are on board with the program (or there will be trouble). I believe that this is exactly what the school needs at this point, as do many others. What I don’t think people are ready for is to have the discussions with our principal when he has questions about how we are doing things now. Everyone sees the need for him to talk to someone else, but are mostly blind to our own weaknesses and shortcomings. Herein lies the problem! Everyone applauds the idea of change for the better until it affects them directly; then they get defensive. How do we maintain an open mind in order to be open to the ideas of change that we may need to embrace? How do we stop ourselves from becoming defensive and entrenched in our present viewpoints?

I think that I am very open to feedback and integrating it so that it improves my teaching. I think that I am not going to have a problem with that, but isn’t that what we all think? What happens if a person or group of people feel threatened by change and become a road block to what everyone else sees as improvement? How do we deal with that? What happens if I am one of those people?

As you can see, a new year brings hope, and fear. I feel the hope, but am anxious about many things. Here is hoping that this new year brings better learning to the students, better learning and teaching to me, and an improved culture to our building!