Still Figuring It Out — The Work No One Sees
Week one.
There is nothing quite like it.
The freshly cleaned hallways aren’t so quiet anymore.
The schedules we’ve spent hours building are suddenly filled with actual students.
The plans become people.
And the work becomes real.
This week was filled with all of it.
Excitement.
Nerves.
Laughter.
Smiles.
Questions.
Conversations in the hallway.
Students trying to figure out where they belong.
Teachers settling into their classrooms.
Families sending their kids through our doors and trusting us with some of the most important people in their lives.
And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I was reminded of something I needed to hear myself:
How I show up matters.
Not how much I get done.
Not how many boxes I check.
Not whether everything goes exactly according to plan.
How I show up.
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about protecting our energy and taking care of ourselves as educators.
Sometimes that conversation can sound like it’s simply about us.
Get more sleep.
Move your body.
Take the walk.
Set the boundary.
Take a breath.
Put the computer away.
But this week reminded me why that work matters so much.
Taking care of myself allows me to show up better for the people I serve.
When a nervous freshman needs reassurance, I want enough of myself available to notice.
When a teacher stops me in the hallway to share something, I want to actually listen instead of thinking about the next five things on my list.
When someone needs encouragement, I want to have something left to give.
When laughter erupts in the hallway, I want to be present enough to enjoy it.
When a student smiles and says hello, I don’t want to be so consumed by what’s next that I miss what’s happening right now.
That’s the work no one sees.
The morning routine.
The movement.
The quiet.
The reflection.
The boundaries.
The intentional choices I make before I ever walk through the doors of school.
They’re not about squeezing more productivity out of myself.
They’re about becoming the person I want to be when I get there.
Because leadership is about service.
And I can’t serve people well when I’m constantly running on empty.
That doesn’t mean I showed up perfectly this week.
Far from it.
There were things that didn’t go according to plan.
There were problems to solve.
There were moments of stress.
There were probably conversations I could have handled differently.
I’m still figuring it out.
I think that’s part of the beauty of this work.
Every day gives us another opportunity to ask:
Who do I want to be when I walk through those doors tomorrow?
This week, I was reminded that my answer isn’t “more productive.”
It’s present.
Grounded.
Joyful.
Available.
Someone who notices.
Someone who listens.
Someone who serves.
Someone who brings light into the spaces she enters.
Because years from now, our students and staff probably won’t remember how quickly we answered an email.
They won’t know how many things we crossed off our list.
But they might remember the conversation in the hallway.
The smile when they were nervous.
The moment someone stopped long enough to see them.
And I want to have enough of myself left to be that person.
Maybe that’s one of the greatest reasons to take care of ourselves as educators.
Not so we can do more.
So we can be more present for what matters.
✨ Sending Light
As you head into another week, don’t ask only:
“What do I need to get done?”
Ask:
“How do I want to show up?”
Then do one small thing today that helps you become that person tomorrow.
The people you serve deserve your presence.
And so do you.
One Question to Carry
What would change this week if you measured success by how you showed up instead of how much you got done?
Until next time…
Keep awakening.
Keep rising.
Keep shining.
— Janice
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