On Friday, while eating lunch with my awesome wife, our phones started buzzing like crazy. Coworkers and community members were asking if we had seen the news that the Principal of my school had transferred and that they would be hiring a new Principal. We had not seen this yet, but in the moments that followed, we confirmed this fact. The main question I was getting from people was, “Will you apply?”

Now, if you have read my posts in the past or know about my journey, you know I have been down this leadership application road a few times, and each one was less than positive for both my internal view of myself and my professional life. I think, though, I have come a long way in the last six or seven years.

I have worked to build myself educationally, securing both a Master’s degree and leadership certification. I have spent time presenting locally, outside the district, provincially, and internationally on instructional practices that increase literacy engagement, among other things. I have spent time researching literacy models; I have contributed to the research colleagues are doing in the area of Graphic Novels as educational texts. Over the last seven years or so, I have presented to hundreds of teachers at various teaching conferences, sharing the work of my brilliant students and supporting other teachers to bring this work into their classroom. I am proud of those accomplishments. Last year I was able to accept a position as instructional coach (or whatever we are calling it). This gave me more opportunities to support teachers through building resources, modelling lessons, observing and providing no-risk feedback because I was there only as support, not evaluation. I was able to provide professional development to teachers from other schools as well as my own. All of this has been incredibly rewarding and helped me to establish real-time instructional leadership skills without the typical administrative experience available to me. To be completely honest, I probably had more opportunities to work with teachers than the typical administrator does (especially judging by the discussions in my University leadership group). This was an incredibly rewarding experience, but above all else, the last seven years have blessed me with more opportunities to find connection with my students and the community.

I look at the last few years and the relationships built with the community, and I know that only a few years into teaching here, those had not yet been developed. That needed time. Time to travel around the province to cheer on basketball games and football games. Nights at the rink immediately followed by a Senior basketball game. Volleyball tournaments and music concerts. Visits with students during advisory where they would let me know their week’s events so I could try my best to get there. These are the things that matter. I have a note on my desk here at home from a student who simply wanted to thank me for demonstrating that “education is not only about academics, but also about humanity and helping others through hardship.” I pondered today about how I would possibly not have had that impact had I been outside the classroom. I thought about the metaphor of the butterfly effect and how true it is in education for good and bad.

This thought brings me to now. Seven years ago, not getting a job I thought I was right for has led to so many wonderful things personally and professionally.

This weekend we had a lot of people sharing concerns about who the new Principal could be and what they wanted to see in one. I appreciate the concerns and understand them. Again, the butterfly effect at work: the wrong person can really impact these smaller communities where the school is a hub for so much, teachers lose motivation, students lose a sense of safety, and community loses trust.

In the end, I have decided to throw my hat in. I will be applying because I believe these last six or seven years have prepared me to take on this role in the community I love. I do have worries about it not going my way because I don’t think it is likely, but I am taking the risk because it is worth it. As I typed this, I thought about Jason Reynolds’ words in For Everyone regarding doubt,

So we are just going to go ahead and jump anyway.