I am sitting on a plane in the Philadelphia airport. The name of the airline will go unsaid not because I want to spare them my intense aggravation but because as anyone knows flying is not fun anymore, no matter which airline you choose.

I had carefully set up an appointment in Colorado and also booked a return flight so I could get back home the same day or at least that same night. Of course it depended on the airline being on time and no unfortunate snafus. The kind of snafus that are all too common now a days. As we also all know, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So when the captain announced that we had a mechanical problem and that the part necessary for fixing that problem would have to be flown in from Dallas, I knew I had to make an adjustment. That is what this article is about, the ability to make adjustments.

Suffice to say I made my adjustment and unfortunately had to wait until the next day to get home. I was upset but ended up using the time to a better benefit: I wrote this piece and got some papers graded. I use this example not to show how cool I am under fire but to show how un-cool I was at the time.

It was difficult for me to accept the fact that I would have to change my plans. It was inconvenient and I had to make an adjustment. The dictionary definition of "adjustment" is "to alter, to make fit." It is a pretty simple concept, and yet so hard to do at times and so hard to give into. This is a year of adjustments for all of us.

From the new S.L.C.'s (Small Learning Communities) to the heated discussion of the new uniform policy, Northeast High, it's students, teachers and administrators are being asked to leave their comfort zone and chart a new way. Being new here I am an objective witness to the struggles that are inherent to the kind of changes we are all attempting. My take on it is, that as usual, change is tough. The status quo doesn't give up easy.

We are all being asked to leave our comfort zone and do things differently. That's never easy. There is a reason they call it a "comfort zone". Personally, I am going through some big adjustments of my own. I have been doing pretty much the same thing for over thirty years and I think I am pretty good at it and I have gotten pretty used to it. I have left my home, my family, my friends and my occupation, all the things that give me comfort. I have done this to try and be better. Better at what I do, better at what I am doing and better at being able to adjust when I need to.

I know this will not be easy but I am glad that I am here and that I showed up at Northeast this year in time for what will be a metamorphosis - not only here at the school but also in me.

The other day a student in my class asked if I would move her seat. Often we work in pairs in class and she wasn't happy with her partner. I didn't ask why she wasn't happy and I am sure in her mind she had many valid reasons for wanting to move. I told her to try to make it work. Her partner happens to be a very bright student who might actually be able to help her if she would only embrace the situation. She had to adjust her thinking, just as she will have to adjust all through her life. She did it and so far so good but it's early. The good news is that she's trying. She decided to be open to trying, and this lesson will serve her well going forward no matter what she does with her life.

Don't kid yourself, every day in life we are asked to make adjustments. Some big some small, some days more than others, but change is a constant and it is something we should celebrate, not resist. Just ask President Obama.

I know that I have a lot of work to do to live up to my own words. All I can do is be open to any and all change and do my best. I am looking forward to a great year here at Northeast and I believe once we get going together there is nothing that can stop the Vikings. Oh, and one more thing, thanks for having me.
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