Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/back-to-class/5023196/
The Plan
For 36 years I worked at the same preschool. I started out as an afternoon assistant and after nine years, I became a co-teacher. In year 17, I became co-director, while still teaching. In year 25, I became the director. And in year 35, I became a teacher again. Now, in year 37, although retired, I still substitute teach. I think that my becoming a teacher after being a director was a successful move. It smoothed the transition between administrations and my own transition into retirement.
When I became the director 17 years earlier, I solved a few problems, made a few changes, and learned more about administration and regulations than I sometimes thought anyone should. I became competent and confident, but I knew my time as an effective director was up when I no longer felt excited about figuring out the next schedule, planning the next staff training, or hiring the next substitute. Even more importantly, I felt I wasn’t producing creative ideas to get ahead of the next generation of problems. I also realized that what I really wanted to do was go back to the classroom.
The Transition
I worked with our Board of Directors to plan a transition. We ...