Challenges are Opportunities
Mike Domagalski - August 2021
“A challenge is an opportunity to create new and positive solutions.”
Over the last 18 months, we have all experienced the challenges and hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been so many personal and professional stories that I’ve heard, that it’s hard to put a number on how many, and it continues. However, as we sit in our seats in late August or early September, I am convinced that we are all continuing to work through these challenges as school leaders in an attempt to make the teaching and learning environments the best they can be for our teachers, students, parents and community.
The MEMSPA Summer Leadership Institute in Kalamazoo this past July was a wonderful experience shared by many. So many leaders came together to collaborate in-person, for the first time in over a year, for the benefits of ourselves, but more importantly each other. For those who attended, stories were shared, lessons were learned, and many left with more hope than when they arrived. Were we in-person, YES! Were we focused on gaining new ideas, YES! Were we collaborating safely with the comfort levels for all involved, YES! However, there were still challenges that arose in pulling off this in-person conference, challenges in the way we shared and collaborated with each other, and challenges in health and safety measures. There is one thing for certain though, there was a constant feeling and message that the challenges we are facing can not be measured in complaints, attacks, or problems. We must rise above and find the positive in what we are all going through.
This quote is simply a mindset, “A challenge is an opportunity to create new and positive solutions.” With this mindset, we move through the COVID-19 pandemic, the delta variant, and everything else that comes our way as parents, adults, educators, leaders, etc… We will overcome these challenges and navigate a new way of leading, learning and teaching. Those that focus on the opposite may need additional conversations because that mindset only deters the process of teamwork, positivity, and success. No matter what the challenges, we should all come together and focus on change, a positive change, NO MATTER WHAT. Will this take work, YES. Will this take extra time, YES! Will this take many of us out of our comfort zone, YES! However, with a positive mindset comes a willingness to be better, NO MATTER WHAT.
I wish you all well in your first days of the 2021-22 school year. For those of you that have already started, I hope that is going great. For those of you that are planning to start, I hope that it will be the best year yet. Hoping for the best for everyone should always be part of our mindset, but I’m going to challenge everyone now to not only hope it’s the best, but MAKE it the best! We all have an opportunity to create new and positive solutions, so let’s do this, NO MATTER WHAT!
Michael M.Domagalski
MEMSPA President 2021-22
Middle Level Principal
Design Education Group, Partner
