Balance--Resilience--Faith @sarahsajohnson

I recently began coursework in a program for an Educational Specialist License in the State of Wisconsin. My purpose in starting is to push myself to grow professionally and take next steps in leadership development. Since I earned my Masters in Educational Administration ten years ago, it felt right to move forward. Though I remain undecided regarding whether or not I would actually pursue this career path, the door will be open should the calling come. It was a pleasant surprise that I learned this call to leadership philosophy is one I share with Dr. Joe Sanfelippo. Though we vehemently disagree on the merits of random bursts of singing, we at least see eye to eye in the passion and the call. As part of my coursework requirements, I was tasked with interviewing a superintendent. While there are several awesome candidates, I was thankful Joe would take the time from his busy schedule to talk with me. The resulting piece is what I wrote after our interview. What better way to make...

"Friendship bears out. It's worth it every time." Shauna Niequist "Can you call me?? I am so worried about Jess and want to do something??" A separate vox came through from Jessica Cabeen after the latest update from Jessica Johnson about her son who had been in the hospital undergoing multiple, traumatic surgeries for a week. That's all it took. My spirit had already been mobilized, longing to do more than offer words of encouragement. Sometimes they just aren't enough, even for the giver.  In the scheme of things, the visit that Jess Cabeen and I made to Jessica Johnson and her son in the hospital is not that grand. We were able to visit for an hour, bring some caffeine, a few comfort items, and share some laughs. Being present to witness Jessica nurture her son, respond to the slightest cue in his voice, eye the nurses like a hawk, and naturally produce a tired and loving smile with each interaction with her boys evoked strong emotion and made...

We all experience this phenomenon in education. The back to school dreams. They range in vibrancy and meaning. If you are like me, you have experienced dreams filled with anxiety like standing in front of your students and delivering an amazing lesson sans at least one article of key clothing. In others, it is an amalgam of what you experienced that day in a crazy montage of people, places, and words. Last night, I dreamed of walking down the streets of our town with the shop windows taking on a translucency that emanated whispered, dark words while @JessicaCabeen enthusiastically shared her day through my earbuds, and I typed my inservice day plans in notes. I don't need Freud to explain the creepy part was from completing a goal of reading Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone with my eight year old. Jess is a fixture in my waking dreams, so I am thankful she is a part of the sleeping ones too. Back to school plans are currently taking up 80% of my thoughts. Like clockwork...

A year ago I wrote and published my first blog post and believed it was going to be the ignition to the flame of writing that has been an ember inside for my entire existence. Here I sit, almost a calendar year later having no other posts. Why is that? When I review the content of my blog from a year ago, I know the message is right there. There was not enough balance in my life yet. This is the first summer that I have literally stepped away from my job for more than a few days at a time. I mean really taken time off, not just placed it on my calendar and went in for a few hours. Of course, there is always email exchange, but I can truly claim to have stepped away. And it feels so refreshing! In this time away, I have accomplished so much that matters, and by publishing these items publicly, I know that there will not be another year between posts. There has simply been too much growth between.  Spent HOURS with my daughters together and alone. While they are always at...

It began just as the previous 748 days have with an energizing run in the beautiful nature in which I live in Northwest WI. After getting ready in my #SpoonerProud shirt and jeans, I snuggled my girls. Got their breakfast. Kissed their cheeks and hugged their little bodies tight...and headed to the office.  Summer hours at our school are supposed to mean Fridays off in July. However, as many building principals know, the minutes in each day of this time of year really need to count. So I worked. I did the minutia of paperwork, caught up on email. For my few hours worth of office hours, I was able to complete communication I had been sitting on for weeks, namely a link to connect to Remind for my staff. This may seem minor, but it's huge for me.  This was my day off, so at 1:30 p.m., I packed up and headed to the county fair to meet my children. I rode the Tilta-a-Whirl. Twice. Engaged with a staff member whose daughter shows at the fair and asked her to be a mentor for ...