It's a Wrap!

Saying goodbye can be difficult, especially when you spend  the good portion of the day with people you work with. You may even think of them as family. In some cases you may not even be close to them but working together to achieve a common goal deserves a celebration and leaving on a positive note.  This celebration is so important because it  recognizes and appreciates  all of the collaborative efforts from everyone.

I have had wonderful experiences working with other people. With every project that I participated in the euphoria that takes over once the goal was accomplish  has often been met with great sadness once it was over. I worked with 8 great people in a small school many years ago.  The principal that took over the school was a powerhouse. The school was in peril of closing due to lack of enrollment. Her goal was to bring the school back to life. In a period of 5 years the school blossomed and we had to take half of the gym to create two more classrooms. As a group we all worked hard to improve the curriculum and the test scores of the children was slowly climbing. At the end of the school year we would always meet at a local restaurant and say our goodbyes before leaving for summer break.  Upon returning in the fall many of us were shocked to see that the principal didn't return and a new one was in her place. We didn't get a memo, letter or anything. I do remember walking into my classroom wishing I had the chance to say goodbye to her properly. I wanted to thank her for teaching me and guiding me in this profession. Many of the other teachers felt the same way. 

Having the opportunity to meet, share and learn from my colleagues here at Walden has been a great experience. At the end of our 8 week course we do have a chance to say our thank you's and goodbyes through our blogs. It is always exciting to see the same names on the preselected groups  and work with each other again and have the chance to write, listen and reply all over again. We all grow from each others feedback and smile at our blogs. I know that upon graduation I truly want to thank them personally responding, sharing and growing with me this journey in continuing our education. 

Adjourning allows  for everyone to have a sense of pride and accomplishment. It  can also bring closure to any project and seals camaraderie.  It sends the clear message that everyone that was involved was appreciated and the teamwork was valued.  It's like giving the children in our classroom a sticker for a job well done at the end of the day!