Every fall when we come back from summer vacation, there are always changes at school. Teachers who told you to have a nice summer, and they'd see you in the fall, have gone off to other schools, to higher positions, to pursue other careers. Others who said goodbye to you in June suddenly reappear in late August, as if nothing had passed between you in the spring, as if there had been no mention of their leaving. You whisper in corners with your colleagues about what happened, why did so-and-so come back, what job offer fell through, what was better about this job that made them want to come back? Part of the excitement of coming back in late August is finding out all this information, finding out how everyone else spent their vacation, finding out about the changes, and learning what new inanities the school district has decided we desperately need to do this year.
But sometimes the changes just suck. Well, suck isn't quite the right word for it. The change is good for the person making the change, but it has thrown my colleagues and me for a loop.
My department chair is leaving our school for another position within the school district. She is one year away from retirement, and we all kind of knew she'd be leaving next year, but that was next year. What we were not prepared for was this announcement that she would not be spending her final year with us. For her, it is an exciting opportunity to be able to have more flexible working hours and to be able to be involved in new ways of teaching. For us, for me, it is scary! Who will the new leader be? How will this new person differ from our former leader? Will the collegiality that currently exists in our department continue on? Will this new person trust in our professionalism and allow us to keep our focus as we have in the past? One of the things I like so much about this school that I hear is not the case in so many other schools in my district is the fact that the teachers, especially those of us in the social studies department, are given a lot of freedom regarding how we approach the state tests. Many other schools emphasize rote memorization and massive reviewing towards the end of the school year, something that has never been the case at my school, and our scores have always been pretty good. I hope this kind of trust can continue.
I also feel sorry for this new person for a variety of reasons: first, our former dept. chair is a wonderful woman, a good leader, and an excellent educator. These are some big shoes to fill! Second: we as a department are very close, and (from what I understand from people who have entered the department in the last couple of years) we can be intimidating, and not-so-easy to break into. We don't mean to be, I don't think, but that's the way it is. At least, I don't think we mean to be. For any new person the transition could be difficult. Of course, the new department chair could be someone from within our department. This also has dangers. It could cause resentment. Or it could be great. It's a great unknown, and that is what is so worrying.
I will also personally miss our department chair very, very much. She is not only my colleague, but a friend, and I have learned much from her about being a teacher and about being a leader. She was always a calming influence on my bad days, and always supportive when I wanted to try something new. I wish her the best of luck with her new position, and hope that she'll come back and visit us often. I can only hope that one day I will be half as good an educator as she is.
