The countdown is on, in less than two weeks I am leaving a place I love. Next Friday will be my last day as the Principal of Ellis Middle School. I will support the high school graduation that night and then return to work a week later with a new school, a new title, and new and exciting challenges.
We all have opportunities to change positions. Sometimes these are changes we have been wanting for a while, and other times we are asked to move into new spaces or positions. However it happens, I have found three ground rules for a transition that have helped me through the multiple changes of positions in my career.
- You can be sad and happy at the same time.
When I was leaving the Kindergarten Center to come to the middle school on the final day of school when I was giving the final all-school assembly I created a new phrase: principal happy tears. I had to explain that even though I was crying (and many of the staff as well), I was so happy to have been a part of the school and the first year of their academic career.
Leaving something you love can be really hard. Trust me this past week has been more emotional than the final season of This Is Us. But here is the thing-it is okay to not be completely okay. Taking the leap to change positions within your career can be scary and it is fine to admit that to yourself. Make sure you have extra bandwidth and boundaries in your day during a transition. The range of emotions can change at any moment and be as regulated as can be will help you be resilient through the final days.
- Focus on what has to get done and what you want to do.
The final month or weeks of your position is not the time to start any new initiatives. It is a time to slow down and reflect on the why of your work and the legacy you hope to leave. That could be reflected by the students in your classroom, the feedback from staff, or the notes from families or your colleagues.
Make sure you take the time to stay connected with the purpose of your work, and if you have to get some business done try to figure out what has to be done before the kids leave, and what can wait. For me I have a running list of what needs to get done by June 1st, and what I can do after June 13th. Giving myself permission to not do it all, and be available to do things I won’t get to do after the last bell rings is the grace required to leave a place you love with happy memories.
- Find a way to reflect and recalibrate after the last day.
If you are transitioning during the end of the 2021-22 school year, wow. Not only did you finish the marathon of a challenging year, but you added in another 10K on top of it! While excitement for your new position might make you eager to jump right in, I would encourage you to take a page break in your career.
Maybe it is summer, a month, a week, or at least a weekend. Whatever you can get, take time offline, away from work, and reconnect with self-care and soul-care practices that will build up your reserves for the next level of your career.
And just when I thought I was crazy about the roller coaster of emotions I was feeling, William said it well during one of the final episodes of This Is Us:
“If something makes you sad when it ends,
it must have been pretty wonderful when it was happening.”
This Is Us: Final Season
Here if you need anything,
Jessica
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