This blog is dedicated to my rocks: Joey, Kate, Kelsey, Chelsey and the best work wife a girl can have Bri!

I have been really honest in writing my blog, probably too honest for some but I really do not know how else to be. I am a what you see is what you get kind of person. I pride myself on being genuine and honest in my role as school leader and in my life and relationships. So part of this journey for me in China was to get honest with myself.

I love leadership and I love being a school leader. I am passionate about supporting both teacher and student growth. I love creating professional learning opportunities for others and participating in them myself. This experience in China is probably one of the most difficult and rewarding professional learning opportunities I have ever had. In the last 4 months I have learned more about myself and international education then I ever thought possible. I have been humbled, empowered and rejuvenated by the experience.

The last few years have really worn me down, eroded my confidence and had me doubting myself and the path I had chosen. Every day there was a crisis to manage, problems to solve and complex student needs to support. The focus was on management not leadership. I wanted to be a great instructional leader but I found myself despite the strategies I employed, organizational systems I implemented, support I requested spending less time on leading the learning and more time on managing the needs of the building. There was a time I thrived on the chaos and felt that I was pretty good at finding creative solutions to difficult problems and enjoyed it but something changed and it no longer fulfilled me. I felt tired, unhappy and stressed most of the time. I had a great staff and I loved them dearly but we all were struggling to manage. Unfortunately that meant we struggled to find joy, laughter and fun!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend the day brunching and socializing with my new school family and friends. We had the best time! We ate, sipped on bubbles, shared stories but most of all we shared laughter. We laughed as we exchanged gifts in the Yankee Swap, snapped our #Sleighbelles photo in Santa’s sleigh, marched in the mall parade and belted out the tunes at Karaoke! We were fun, free and just plain silly. I had not laughed that much or had that much fun in years.

Why I wondered? Is it because I have more anonymity here? Is it because I am trying to get the most out of the experience? Is it because I am pushing myself out of my comfort zone? Probably all true but I think it is because I am surrounded by joyful people every day! The joy on the faces of the kids who literally run through the door to start their day. The joy of the teachers who lift each other up through collaboration and team work. The joy of having the autonomy and trust of the senior leadership team. The joy of leading in a culture where there is ample time and support to properly do the job of leading learning. The joy of having an amazing team for support.

Not all days are perfect but there is not a day that goes by that I am not surrounded by or engaged in laughter. I am learning to let go, relax and enjoy the moment again. Most of all I am finding the joy and laughter in the leading and learning!

NOTE: I am soooooo excited about heading home for Christmas and will be taking a break from my blog for a couple of weeks as I reconnect with my family. Until the New Year, cheers and have a wonderful holiday with your families and friends!