Insights from my Sabbatical Year

     When I was 27, my husband got a job that landed us in LA, CA. After earning an MEd in teaching and running my own second-grade classroom for five years, it was definitely one of those twists on life's path that you are not expecting. At the time (2005), the job market for teaching was competitive in California. Not immediately finding a job was a blow to my identity as an educator. So, I decided to pursue a lifelong dream of completing my Doctorate and applied at UCLA. I wrote the essays, gathered the recommendations, and put it all in the mail just days before finding out I was pregnant with my daughter. Again, a twist in the road and a readjustment.

    Fast forward seventeen years, and I found myself at another crossroads. Deep in the winter of 2021, with the ongoing stressors of the Covid Pandemic and the turmoil within our country, I needed a lifeline to see outside what felt like neverending darkness. My Superintendent at the time shared a staff memo that mentioned that applications were open for the Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical (CMS) here in NH. Since 1986, the CMS has been awarded to an exceptional NH public school teacher each year to honor Christa's memory and dedication to education. It "provides the teacher with the times, space, and funding to explore, through a self-designed project, new ideas and ways to enhance classroom teaching." While I was not selected that first year, completing the project proposal and considering the educational impacts beyond my day-to-day world was precisely the type of reenergizing activities I needed during that challenging time.

    The following year, I decided to reapply, and this time I was accepted as the 2022-23 recipient. As I write, it is August of 2023, and I am over a week away from ending my sabbatical year and returning to my job as a Literacy Specialist. It's hard to believe that this year has gone so quickly, but in a career renowned for burnout, especially lately, it was the best professional experience of my life. It allowed me to step off the treadmill, reflect on my experience and aspirations, and grow my knowledge and experiences. The rejuvenating effects of a sabbatical on one's career should not be overlooked. After the fantastic gift of this year, these were some of my biggest takeaways...

• I was reminded of my WHY. When allowed to remove some of the energy-zapping aspects of working in education - constant meetings, emails, politics, etc. - I could reconnect with my passion for the field. I began a career in education because of my deeply held belief in the power of knowledge and the fundamental human right for all to access that knowledge. For me, this has rooted itself in the right to read, the significant lifelong impacts literacy has, and the desire to help both teachers and students as they work to increase our effectiveness at providing this right to all students.
• Stepping out of your bubble is essential to improving at anything you do. For me, this year, that has meant working with schools and districts outside of where I have worked for the past 13 years. This process allows you to fully see and consider different points of view, alternative ways of doing things and connect with educators across the state. It has been the best professional development I've ever had.
• I was able to look back and look forward and begin to think about my professional identity outside the position I held at my school. As my own children grow and become more independent, I started to think about what my next chapter would look like. I recommitted to that Doctoral dream I had so many years ago and began an EdD program in Educational Leadership. Being back in the academic world, engaging in research, and thinking about how to apply that research to instruction has reframed my thinking about teaching. As the literacy world, in particular, goes through the shifts and challenges of restructuring our instruction to better meet the needs of our students, I am grateful to have a piece of my life carved out for reviewing research and pursuing a degree that will allow me to educate future generations of teachers as well as help train my colleagues currently in the field.

    I've learned and grown so much this year that it is almost too much to truly convey. But I know without a doubt that my experiences have been a true gift and will change my outlook moving forward. And as I prepare to return to the school building, I am excited to return to seeing students daily and collaborating with the amazing staff I am so lucky to work with.

    The sabbatical may be over, but Literacy Leaders NH is not! My exciting news to share is that LLNH is now an official LLC. This means I will continue to offer consulting, professional development workshops, literacy coaching, and tutoring. Great things are happening in New Hampshire in the field of literacy, and I'm excited to continue working with others to support these changes. I hope you continue on this journey with me. I will continue to blog here and look for some updates to our Facebook page and website coming soon, including a Guidebook filled with tidbits I've learned this year that you can apply in your classroom. In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful start to the new school year. If I could share one piece of wisdom from my experience this year as you head back, remember your WHY, and lead with it. Being true to your passion and reason for becoming an educator can help sustain you through those dark winters like the one I experienced just a few short years ago. Our next generation will shape the future of what America looks like. Let's give them everything they deserve and bring care, empathy, and strong instructional methods to our buildings daily.

Yours in Education,

Liz