Doing my very best
This is the last “Principal’s Blog post” I will ever
write. This is the last time I will sit
in the chair I have inhabited for 12 years and share thoughts through the lens
of the person known as the Principal of Hinckley-Big Rock High School. I am not taking this moment lightly. Thank you, in advance, for taking your time
to read this.
Four years ago I signed what would be my last contract with
the Hinckley-Big Rock Community Unit School District. At the time, I made several commitments. First, to retire at the end of the contract
term, June 30, 2021. And second, and
most important, I made a commitment to myself to continue to do the very best I
could for the students, staff, and community I serve. I learned, during my first 8 years here, that
the joy and contentment I felt was a result of that service and what I call the
repayment of the debt I owe to those students, staff members, and families who
had treated me so well from the moment I arrived in 2009. Has the debt been repaid? That is not for me to decide. I hope that
each and every one of you who reads this has some opinion on that. I hope that whatever our interaction,
whatever challenge we addressed, accomplishment we celebrated, issue we
tackled, smile we shared, or battle we fought you felt like I was giving my
best…doing my best.
 |
|
I can say with certainty that I have “done” a lot during
these 12 years. The question
remains: have I “accomplished” a
lot? They are different. I look forward
in retirement to reflecting on that question.
I have never been the type to count my wins and losses while still in
the game. That, in my opinion, is just
not something you do as it would only get in the way of focusing on what needed
to be done in the moment and the planning that needed to be done for the future. Rather, my job was to show up every day, give
my best, go home and recharge, and come back the next day ready to give it my
all. And, in between, do whatever I
could and learn whatever I could to help me be the best I could be. Being a high school Principal is sort of like
playing chess on three different levels…always trying to figure out how to
navigate the known and the unknown. I’ve
made mistakes, I’ve made missteps, and I have held myself accountable,
personally and privately, more than anyone could know. And I have loved every moment of that as it brought
me joy, humbled me, and reminded me that I am human.
So, thank you to all who are reading this, all of you who I
had the privilege of crossing paths with, and all of you who have partnered
with me over the past 12 years. There
has never been a doubt in my mind that being the Principal of Hinckley-Big Rock
High School is the best job in the world, and never a doubt that I have been
incredibly lucky to have sat in this chair for the past 12 years. Now, onto my next life…not sure what it
brings, but it is more likely to involve umbrella drinks on the beach than
bells going off every 47 minutes telling me where to be! I will miss you…
Jay
