School Culture and Being the New Kid

We have all had the school year in which we came in as the "new kid". It is so difficult at times and may be even harder than infiltrating a clique in a high school. So why are teachers so hard to befriend? Is it because we are always working independently in our classroom? Is it because our social skills have begun to lag with the constant socializing with children? Are we afraid the next person may be our competition? Whatever the reason it is ever present, and I want it to end ASAP. I'm the worst, I am quiet to begin with and many take my quietness as being stand-offish or something, when really I'm spending the weeks before school trying to get in the right head space for the school year, thinking of ways to support my team, and getting my room ready. I'm also always on a time crunch, I want to get a million things done in a short amount of time because when I am at school and my girls are away from me, I don't like to have them in someone's care for too long.

In my school, we recently underwent a huge shift in administration. As a result, more than half of our teaching staff as new. As a veteran teacher in the building, I no longer feel like I have turf because most of the incoming teachers know each other. I went to work today to set up and there was a sense of wanting to feel each other out among all the teachers. I want to be better than that. My goal when school starts is to see everyone as a valuable member of a new team. It is not the school from last year, it is a new school and I happen to know some of the teachers (this is the mind game, I'm playing with myself).  As we enter a school year, it is important to note that everyone has anxieties, everyone is nervous, everyone wants the best for students. We all must be open minded and soft hearted as we meet our new colleagues for the upcoming school year.

I am more than excited to get my school year started and begin to understand what each teacher has to offer our incoming students. As I reflect on my practices, I think of myself as a soon to be administrator who will not only have to welcome new teachers each year but I will also have to build a warm and welcoming culture so that no one feels they are the odd one out. Have you ever had an experience like this?