Trevor Noah was extraordinary tonight for Wake Forest University Face to Face series. Among many thought-provoking words, one of my favorites was sharing that he has become less stressed by realizing in life “It’s not always about me.”

If you would have asked me at 22 years old about my career, I would’ve said I’d be teaching 5th grade for 30 years in the same classroom. It’s been a wild ride of twists, turns, achievements, and disappointments. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

It’s not always about what you teach, but how you teach it. Look no further than the same content being taught across different classrooms. Why are some classes engaged while others are bored? How do some classes grow their learning while other stay flat?

A4: In some of my speeches I talk about how we all have our best ideas in the shower. But how often do those ideas go down the drain with the water? The person who dries off and takes that idea to fruition is the true innovator. #tlap

A3: I believe Buddha said something along the lines of we are what we think. Something to be said about that and our self-perception. #tlap

Being a first year principal scared the life out of me, but making checklists and getting things checked off helped a lot #tlap

Job search tip:

There is no such thing as a perfect school. It doesn’t exist. But there is such thing as supportive administration, caring colleagues, and a culture of professionalism.

Career pathways are not linear. There’s going to be setbacks, pauses, accelerations, and pivots. Those who can adapt, grow, and learn best will ultimately end up where they desire to be.

I had an encounter today at a crosswalk in Charlotte that really hit me hard. It’s important to be grateful for what you have and give back when you are able.