Origin Stories

 In December, I was generously gifted a subscription to Storyworth. It is a site where each month they send you a prompt question, such as, "What was your relationship with your parents like when you were a teenager?" or "When you hear certain songs, what memories automatically come to mind?"  You write a response each month and at the end of the year, you have the option to publish your collection of musings into a printed book.

It is an intriguing concept. Instead of using the prompt questions as my springboard or central focus for each chapter, I decided to do something different. I have taught at 10 schools, so I made each school a chapter, writing about how I ended up there, some key experiences there, and how I left. Like Taylor Swift's eras, each school is like an album. Writing about these schools forced me to remember, reflect, and process how each school shaped my career and my teaching. 

Here are some reflections about my reflections:

• There was a lot of luck and intersections of circumstances that led me to each school.  For most schools, I was in the right place (location, interest, or skillset) at the right time. 
• It was not until my 8th school and over 25 years in the district that I was hired by a principal that had NOT had drinks with my mom. My mom taught in the district and moved around too. You can decide if it was nepotism, coincidence, a small district or something else that I got hired by so many of my mom's former colleagues.
• I tended to move every 4 years. The shortest I was in a school was 10 days (due to a drop in enrolment) and the longest was 6 years (in two schools, with two additional years as a district LST).  Moving a lot is not for everyone, but it worked for me. I learned, stole, and adapted from each school and brought these ideas to my next schools.
• I tended to reinvent myself somewhat in each school. That was not on purpose. In each school, I had a different role: new guy, replacement guy, only guy, Pro D guy, old guy, etc.  That is why each school, each chapter, is like an origin story.
• The years within a school kind of blur together, but each school had a distinct personality. I have trouble remembering events, days, and lessons, but it is much easier to remember the people within each school. In writing about each school, I realized how LUCKY I was to meet so many excellent people. It is like wandering through a forest and finding pieces of gold along the way; somehow the gold stays with you no matter how many times you share it.

Even if you do not use Storyworth, I strongly encourage you to reflect and write about different phases of your life.  Who knows what nuggets of gold you will uncover?