TL;DR:
- Embrace changes even when they are not something you initiate.
- The unknown can be scary, but one can find growth and excitement when adapting to new technology.
- Change is inevitable and has the potential for positive transformation in professional and personal realms.
Time for an Upgrade
There’s a line from the song Time Brings Change by MxPx that has always stuck with me, “I hate time / cuz time brings change. And change makes me / start all over again.” In life, time passes. Right now, a few seconds have slipped by as you read these words that I’ve put to this page. You’re older today than you were just yesterday. Where you are in your life, personally and professionally, has changed from 5 years ago just as it has from 5 months ago. Time and change are everpresent. They are always happening and we cannot control the path that they are both on. All we can control is how we react to their actions.
Time and change are everpresent, they are always happening and we cannot control the path that they are both on. All we can control is how we react to their actions. Click To TweetI recently got my first iPhone. An iPhone 14 to be exact. For the past 10 years I have been an Android guy. I loved it, it was easy to navigate, I knew where everything was, and deep down I had that punk rock feeling of being out of step from everyone else. It felt good! So what that I couldn’t FaceTime? I was disrupting the cell phone system by sticking with my Android and showing my individuality with green text boxes on all of my contacts with iPhones.
The last Android I had, a 10, was nearly 6 years old. It was time for a new phone. When it came down to it, I didn’t have a choice. My district provides admin with cell phones. In the past, we could choose if we wanted an Android or iPhone, and if you’ve made it this far into the blog you know where my allegiance fell. But this time, as we sat around the table for our admin meeting, our Superintendent said, “We’re going to upgrade Admin cell phones, but it is going to be an iPhone. If you want an Android you’ll either have to keep what you have or purchase your own.”
That was it. The decision was made.
If I told you I wasn’t a little excited on the inside to be getting a new iPhone I’d be lying. A new phone is always a time to get those feelings a child is bubbling with at Christmas time or on their birthday. But then, as I shared the news with some of the Android crew, fear and anxiety began overcoming me.
“Just wait, you aren’t going to know where any of your apps are.”
“Good luck once they do an update and you have to relearn everything.”
“Traitor!”
I began thinking of all the times my kids have had an issue, both iPhone users, and I really couldn’t help them because I didn’t know about iClouds and Apple IDs. I didn’t know what I was going to be getting into, but I knew there was no turning back.
It’s been 8 days since I have been a proud iPhone user. It took me many years to conform and make the change, but I’m glad I did. I’ve already learned a ton in these 8 days, showing how much I’ve grown and changed by being forced into a new world of cell phone use. I’ve got some ins and outs to master, but I’m confident I’ll get there and excited for the journey! And as much as I loved my Android, I do not miss it at all.
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Change is inevitable.
Time is always passing and we are constantly changing. Sometimes this is on a miniscule level where it’s barely even noticeable. And other times, people begin congratulating us going from green to blue. Sometimes the change we fear the most is what is going to bring about the most positive attributes for those we serve, and most importantly, ourselves.
Think about your craft, the lessons, and approaches you bring to your students if you’re a teacher, and staff if you’re an administrator. What have you been holding onto for far too long? What is no longer making an impact on our ever-changing clientele and world? It may be time for an upgrade, whether you want to or not. In the end, you may never even look back at what you were holding onto for so long.
About Mike Earnshaw
Michael Earnshaw is a father, husband, and elementary school principal. He is the author of The EduCulture Cookbook: Recipes and Dishes to Positively Transform School and Classroom Culture with EduMatch Publishing and co-host of the Punk Rock Classrooms Podcast. Michael strives to empower others to know they can change the world by fostering positive, trusting relationships and modeling risk-taking himself. When he’s not helping others and changing lives you can find him skateboarding, running, or sharing laughs with others.
