Looking Back to Push Forward

I have kept a journal since I was a sophomore in college and it has been one of the most valuable leadership tools I have ever used. At any staff meeting, professional development, or conference, my colleagues will often see me jotting down my thoughts in my Moleskine. I try to write something every day and now, ten years later, I can go back and see how I felt on any given day throughout the year for a decade. Since most of those ten years were spent as a teacher and aspiring educational leader, many of my entries contain observations, reactions and reflections on my experiences in those roles.

In the past ten years of keeping a journal, here are some of the most valuable things I have learned:

1.       Understanding the rhythms of the school year - Often, in the month of November, in that challenging time between Halloween and Thanksgiving, I will think that I am experiencing the most difficult year of my career. When I look back at my journal, I see that November is always rough. I also see that after Spring Break, everything goes better, and that the time after Winter Break until Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an all-out sprint to get things done. By looking back at my journal, I have perspective on what I am experiencing. I recognize that there are challenging times and there are good times, but that no bad time or good time lasts forever

2.       Reflections on the best intentions – Many of my journal entries are new ideas that I want to implement in my classes or my school. Afterwards I will write about the success, the failures, and most importantly the unintended consequences of the new ideas. The journal allows me to see how even the best ideas can sometimes go awry. It also shows me how things I once thought were unimportant actually became critical to my success. The journal reminds me to be deliberate about what I want to accomplish and to refine my ideas before implementing anything

3.       Space to think and ask the big questions - Again and again, scattered throughout my journal I find the same sentence, “I am not quite sure what to do with my life.” Following each one of those sentences, I then find an explanation of what I thought about my life and future path at the time. As I read back through all of the entries I find it hard to believe that I have accomplished anything since I have never really sure about my path forward. At the same time, by constantly asking this question and recording the answers, I focus myself on the things that are important to me. I write about my belief that education is my vocation and that I am meant to work in schools. I write about the fact that the students are what give me energy and carry me through the challenges of the day. I write about the desire to help those around me and try to not forget that I am working with people who have good intentions. My path forward grows out of the path I have been on.

For all of these reasons I continue to journal every day. I can always look back to my journal for guidance, to remind me of what is important, and to show me I can overcome all challenges. I have grown as a teacher, a leader, and a person throughout the pages of my journal, and I use them to support my continued growth in the future. As I push forward to lead the changes I desire for my school, my community and education, I can look back to these journals for strength. If you do not have one already, I encourage any leader to start writing.