Author: Dawn Mitchell
Hello everyone,
I know many of you have prepared for your first official day as an educator. Several of you prepared your lunch, gathering supplies for your classroom, and getting ready for a full week of preparing your classroom and participating in professional development with your school faculty and staff. Some of you are prepared a space in your home that you will use as you launch your virtual classroom until you can be together in person.
In your professional development sessions, I know that there was lot of important information that was provided to you by your principal regarding safety procedures and scheduling, and technology access and tips from your grade level or department for getting off to a great start. All of these are helpful and important and I'm sure you took it all in and took some good notes.
Twenty years ago when I began my first day of staff development and team planning, I came home with my mind spinning with lists of everything that I wanted and needed to do for my students and my "to do" list was growing by the minute. I found myself moving from being excited and optimistic to being a little overwhelmed and stressed.
Some of the most helpful advice I received came from my dad. He told me, "Just take it one day at a time." He advised me to prioritize my "to-do" list and suggested that I move to the top the items I needed to do right away in order to be ready for the next day, and then to categorize the rest by what would impact my students the most and what was required by my administration. That was the best advice! Every year when this week rolls around I remind myself to just take a deep breath and take it one day at a time.
So as you start each new day, be prepared, be positive, be professional, and just put your best foot forward, taking one day, one step at a time.
Sincerely,
Dawn
Dawn Mitchell
South Carolina ASCD Past President