Although I worked for 5 years in a school that had a Jan-Dec school year, August always feels like the start of a new school year for me. I like making resolutions as the summer draws to a close, uniforms are ironed and pencils sharpened. As the light turns golden there is a freshness in the air, (although not in sticky Singapore!), and the slate feels clean. I am back at my desk cooking up new things and looking ahead to a year of coaching in schools. Much of my coaching takes place in schools and with school leaders and teachers but I also have a practice that is as far from teaching as possible. One thing I know to be true is that everyone can benefit from meeting themselves and the best leaders, whether in school or not are those that have a good sense of who they are. Brene Brown said it: You cannot be a good leader if you do not have a good level of self-awareness. Writing is one of the ways that I nurture my self-awareness and I have noticed that my clients who journal make the most progress.
In the spirit of new beginnings, I have decided to move my personal writing to Substack. It has a sense of community that I want and it will give my writing a new direction and focus. I will still write here about coaching and schools, from time to time, but if you wish to follow my writing please consider subscribing. I will be writing about being a coach, a mother, an expat, and a person walking through life, trying to figure it out and always learning, always being curious. I will also share my glimmers: the things I am reading, listening to, and finding. My aim is to share the messy, the wise, the bittersweet.
I hope to see you over there at Notes from the Middle.
Here is the link.
With thanks and love,
Sam xx
samanthacheslercoaching.com 