And that’s a wrap!
The day that many of us felt would never arrive is finally here.
I had dinner with a friend last night and they noted that it has been a very long and very challenging two years. For many, their first two years at BISS and for others, their first two years in China. I look back at how things have changed in only those two years and then I look back at they have changed in the ten since I first walked through the gates. We said our goodbyes to some very special colleagues this week and that was tough. Of the class teachers, Ian is the only person who started at BISS before I did (the first time). When I think about those first days, I also think about me as a person and as a leader and how those two things have changed me, to be what I hope is a better version of myself. As you know, authenticity is one of my core values, my non-negotiables for myself and I know that the day this stops being the case is the day I need to do something about it.
We have all had to make very tough decisions these past two years, and not only do we seem to find ourselves continuing to do so, but it appears to be continuing to in the immediate future at the very least. What we all have to do, though, is to be true to ourselves because being true to yourself means that you can be true to others. We all have our own truths and that’s what makes life a rich tapestry. We all view the world through different lenses and those lenses are inevitably the ones shaped by our experiences. One of the most powerful things about working with children is that we are shaping experiences day by day, hour by hour and minute by minute and isn’t that incredible. Petrifying if you think about it too deeply, so let’s not! As my cognitive psychology lecturer once said to me, ‘Children are like tape recorders; they play back to you what you play to them.’ I know that we play love, care and attention to our children here at BISS and that is the best thing we can do. All of the other amazing things we do are a ‘Brucie Bonus’, and completely pointless without those basics.
I have witnessed such growth and realised potential among so many staff and students here and I can’t wait to see what happens as we enter another new phase. Most people wouldn’t believe it given my chequered address history (completing CRB checks is an absolute nightmare), but I don’t like change. I’m very much a creature of habit and a home bird. I have made myself embrace change because change is growth. It’s about action rather than inaction and striving for better whatever ‘better’ is to you. that is not the only change that one makes. It’s about changing what you do every day to make things better. Some very good friends of mine still have the same job they had post-graduation. Although, just like the axe which the owner has had for many years, only replacing the head and the handle several times, it is only the same job in some respects because nothing stays the same if you make the effort for it not to.
Whatever is next for you in your journey of life, embrace it and welcome it with both arms, especially if something is happening which you would not have chosen. Dig deep, be positive and see the world through the lenses you choose for yourself.
Until the next time, everyone!
Music? Well, it had to be Keane. YouTube Playlist has gone from Somewhere only we Know to Nothing in my Way to Thread (?) to I’m not Leaving and now Everybody’s Changing. Loving it!
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