Small Schools is harrrrd

Just got back from meetings with some small schools. Tough days. Went in, lost my train of thought, got mentally sidetracked and sat on my tail while other people duked it out for what they believe in. I was like a bump on a log.

Tough day. I have this picture of myself as a crusader - a person who makes choices based on moral principles and does what it takes to do what's right. The reality is that I convince myself of that only until I get resistance from people who don't want to approach things in the way I'm asking them to. Then, I back up. I've got some demons to overcome when it comes to having people out there who are upset with me. I need to let go of that.

In places where stakes are high and risk is everywhere, I'm just starting to feel pulled into the middle of things. I seek the margin - I'm good on the outside of things. I'm not that great in the ring, but I'm going to have to step into it and take on some of the issues I see as being especially problematic - discipline, school culture, student voice, etc.