My school district is headed for a big change. A reconfiguration. A redistricting. School families are breaking up and new ones will form. I am naturally comfortable with most change, believing it’s a wonderful path to new growth – emotionally and intellectually. It’s sometime difficult for me to step into another’s shoes – one whose resistance to change causes them anxiety and sadness. And empathy is a part of our humanity. Without it our world crumbles. But that’s another blog post…
Reading a short article this morning written by Cathleen Adams, Ph.D. was enlightening and insightful:
“Change is a shift in something you are used to…Transition, on the other hand, is a letting go of the way things used to be, and then opening up to the way things can become. Transition is not just a change in situation but is a psychological event, and therefore demands our attention and mental effort.”
Aha. This is the thing. This is what I need to learn. This is what will help me to understand how the change process can be so difficult. It’s the transition. This is what requires patience, understanding, compassion, and empathy; and as teachers, leaders, and administrators, this is vital to our success. And aren’t patience, understanding, compassion, and empathy vital to our daily lives, as well?
Lisa's Slices of Life 