Teachable Moments
Friday, September 25, 2009
Don't Burn Your Bridges
My parents are very wise people and they always shared very sound advice. Of course, as any young person growing up, I thought I was smarter than my parents or they couldn't possibly know as much as I did! I'm sure I wasn't the only person who felt this way! smile
As I get older, however, I am finding that the constant reminder and warning, "Don't Burn Your Bridges", was very sage advice.
May I share with you that I made a conscious effort to work collaboratively with colleagues and administrators throughout my 28 years as an educator. Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest in the nation, but if the world is small, then the District is smaller! The people you encounter at the beginning of your career will more than likely be people that you will encounter throughout your career!
I would like to extend this same sage advice to you. No matter who you have to deal with at your workplace, it is important to maintain a positive relationship with all of your colleagues.
Many of my colleagues, who were classroom teachers as well or assistant principals who supervised me, are now principals, directors and superintendents! Wow, I'm so glad that I maintained viable interactions with them all!
Let me be a living witness that you should never "Burn Your Bridges"!
Life is cyclical!
What goes around does come around!
As I get older, however, I am finding that the constant reminder and warning, "Don't Burn Your Bridges", was very sage advice.
May I share with you that I made a conscious effort to work collaboratively with colleagues and administrators throughout my 28 years as an educator. Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest in the nation, but if the world is small, then the District is smaller! The people you encounter at the beginning of your career will more than likely be people that you will encounter throughout your career!
I would like to extend this same sage advice to you. No matter who you have to deal with at your workplace, it is important to maintain a positive relationship with all of your colleagues.
Many of my colleagues, who were classroom teachers as well or assistant principals who supervised me, are now principals, directors and superintendents! Wow, I'm so glad that I maintained viable interactions with them all!
Let me be a living witness that you should never "Burn Your Bridges"!
Life is cyclical!
What goes around does come around!
1 Comments:
commented by 
Chris L. Hickey, Sr, October 4, 2009 at 9:14 PM
Chris L. Hickey, Sr, October 4, 2009 at 9:14 PM
In my work, I recently had a very special experience, where I met the young daughter of a person I had worked with professionally less than a year ago. The meeting of the daughter was not at all connected to the work I had done with her mother. I know that one of the things that made this meeting so special for me was that besides it's happenstance, I was very comfortable in the knowledge that our meeting would also be special to her mother. This is what happens when you don't burn bridges.
Thank you Anita for these very important thoughts.
Chris L. Hickey, Sr.
chickey@e1t1.org
http://e1t1.org