Boy did I get upset yesterday.
As I contemplate that I realized it arrived from the same place that most of my upset comes from -- perceived disrespect.
I've been doing my job with care, and then there's an accusation that I've missed something, something I didn't understand to be a mandate.
And to meet that mandate meant changing the schedule I had carefully crafted with colleagues.
Now some may call that inflexibility, but for me it wasn't the flexible part that was the problem, instead the problem was someone layering something on top of everything else the team and I have carefully planned, discussed, and scheduled for the end of the year.
If this mandate was so important, why wasn't a point of discussion and planning with the broader team, and why was it relayed as a mandate seven days before the end of school. That's where the feeling of disrespect came from and thus the upset.
All in all it's small potatoes. Typically I get more upset by the small details rather than big life events. And in hopes that this doesn't happen again I requested clarity about the schedule and expectations for the year ahead. I received the clarity and will plan accordingly.
I get upset every year at the end of the school year. I probably plan a bit too tightly but I know there's a need to keep students engaged and actively learning right up until the end--children don't do that well with lots of down time at the end of the school year. Instead I like to use that time of year to engage in special projects and activities.
I like to steer clear of upset and I have a lot of strategies to do that. However surprises that seem to be disrespectful are the moments that leave to the greatest upset for me--moments when it feels like I'm not regarded as an experienced professional who cares about the work I do.
