Learning To Fly - Post 22
Quote of the Day (actually excerpt from a poem):
"Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same."
- Flavia Weedn
About a year ago, an RHA President and Vice President handed me a copy of this poem. As I accepted the poem and beautiful flowers, I knew that while I may have left footprints on their hearts, they also left them on mine.
In Student Affairs, we talk so much about being developmental with your staff, making their leadership positions and jobs a "learning experience" for them, helping them grow and and and. But we rarely talk about what we can learn from them, how - whether they plan to or not - they are being "developmental" with us. And we never talk about how you handle this constant "saying-goodbye."
Last year saying goodbye was rough...but that was to be expected. I was leaving grad school, moving into the real world, not just leaving my student leaders. I guess I never thought about the fact that this "saying-goodbye" will continue to go on and on as I will continue to work in Student Affairs.
I wonder if it gets easier with the years. I don't really see some of my more seasoned colleagues go through these emotional rollercoasters at the end of each year. Or maybe they're just better at hiding it.
Enough about "saying goodbye:" I still have one week left with my staff.
You know, it's scary to think that next year, I'll be a "returner." This first year as a new professional just flew by. At the same time, it feels like I've always been here. Do you know that feeling?
Okay, somehow I keep getting sidetracked tonight. I've been looking up YouTube Videos of different Austrian shows (the musical Elisabeth and anything else that Uwe Kroeger was in). What was I talking about again?
Oh yeah, so this past year...
I was looking at pictures of earlier in the year (for the slideshow for my staff) and I just remember how we were all still shy and quiet around each other, still testing what we could and could not say...it's strange how in just one year you can become so close and comfortable around a group of people. Then again, we've spent plenty of time together. From all of our staff meetings that used to drag on and on because we just wouldn't shut up - to the staff retreats at the cabin or just having dinner together. And next year, it'll start all over again...
Okay, I feel like I'm just rambling tonight and I'm not really making sense. So I'm going to go, but I will post more again soon.
"Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same."
- Flavia Weedn
About a year ago, an RHA President and Vice President handed me a copy of this poem. As I accepted the poem and beautiful flowers, I knew that while I may have left footprints on their hearts, they also left them on mine.
In Student Affairs, we talk so much about being developmental with your staff, making their leadership positions and jobs a "learning experience" for them, helping them grow and and and. But we rarely talk about what we can learn from them, how - whether they plan to or not - they are being "developmental" with us. And we never talk about how you handle this constant "saying-goodbye."
Last year saying goodbye was rough...but that was to be expected. I was leaving grad school, moving into the real world, not just leaving my student leaders. I guess I never thought about the fact that this "saying-goodbye" will continue to go on and on as I will continue to work in Student Affairs.
I wonder if it gets easier with the years. I don't really see some of my more seasoned colleagues go through these emotional rollercoasters at the end of each year. Or maybe they're just better at hiding it.
Enough about "saying goodbye:" I still have one week left with my staff.
You know, it's scary to think that next year, I'll be a "returner." This first year as a new professional just flew by. At the same time, it feels like I've always been here. Do you know that feeling?
Okay, somehow I keep getting sidetracked tonight. I've been looking up YouTube Videos of different Austrian shows (the musical Elisabeth and anything else that Uwe Kroeger was in). What was I talking about again?
Oh yeah, so this past year...
I was looking at pictures of earlier in the year (for the slideshow for my staff) and I just remember how we were all still shy and quiet around each other, still testing what we could and could not say...it's strange how in just one year you can become so close and comfortable around a group of people. Then again, we've spent plenty of time together. From all of our staff meetings that used to drag on and on because we just wouldn't shut up - to the staff retreats at the cabin or just having dinner together. And next year, it'll start all over again...
Okay, I feel like I'm just rambling tonight and I'm not really making sense. So I'm going to go, but I will post more again soon.
posted by StudentAffairs.com at
7:51 PM
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