My New School

Back in July, I shared that I was transferring to a new school this year. It's been quite a great experience and challenging in so many good ways. :)

There were a number of different reasons that led me to this decision, and although it was a difficult one, I'm glad to have made the choice. I had grown very fond of my previous school, having been there for eight years. Last year, we got a new principal and quite honestly, I was finding it difficult at times to not feel so attached to the "old way" of doing things. In addition, I was feeling a little tired and worn. You see, after working there for so long, I had started taking on more and more jobs each year and was finding that my plate was a bit full. It was difficult for me to relinquish the responsibilities I had taken on, mostly because I was so personally vested. I knew it was time for a fresh start.

Starting at a new school means a lot of new challenges in a lot of new ways. The school population is larger and quite different from my previous school, which was very rural. I'm always up for good challenge! I'm quite excited to work with my previous principal as well. With the difficult summer I've had, it's been nice to get a new start, but still be with some old friends.

There are a lot of positive things about working in this new building. For one, it is really close to home. I've been working a lot of long hours recently, so it's been helpful not to have a long commute after a tiring day. I also mentioned that it's a larger school, which means a larger staff. In many ways, this helps lighten my load. There are quite a few roles that I had taken on at my previous school that I don't have to fulfill any more because there are so many willing hands to lighten the load.

Still, it has been a challenge. Having been out a lot last year, and being in a new building, I almost feel like I am "starting over" as a counselor. I miss my old friends too. I struggled a lot with this during the first few days of school, feeling as though I had "abandoned" many of them. Although I knew that my friends understood and were supportive of my decision, I really had to remind myself that this change was a good one and what I really needed right now.

So, here we are at the start of a new school year, with lots of exciting things on the horizon. I'm so happy to be sharing my adventure with you! :)