Last week, I started a new position as Vice Principal of a middle school in my district. I’m so excited to begin this journey and feel blessed to be working with some amazing individuals. As I move into this role, I’ve been reflecting on all of the experiences that have led up to this opportunity. I’ve been thinking about the educators, administrators and co-workers that have played an instrumental role in my professional life. I’ve been thinking about the ways in which they have guided me, the conversations they have had with me, and how they challenged me to do more as an educator. Most importantly, I’ve been constantly reflecting on how I can be that leader that impacts other educators.

Yet, as I was contemplating these things, I came to this (somewhat obvious) realization:

It was never one, single moment that has led me here – but a million little things.

As I reflect on this sentence, I realize that it’s not one conversation I have had with other educators, administrators, or mentors. It wasn’t a big, grand moment where I was encouraged to do something that was completely life-changing. It was the small moments. The conversations, the encouragement, and the mentorship over an extended period of time. Yet, in the end, the million little things have certainly led to some life-changing experiences.

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It’s the little moment where, as a high school student, I was encouraged to write because my teacher saw talent in my writing. It’s that little moment that led, ultimately, to the creation of this blog.

It’s the little moment where I was encouraged to apply to my current district, during a time in which I was unsure if I truly wanted to be in education after some difficult situations as a young teacher. It’s that little moment that opened so many doors and solidified my passion for education.

It’s the little moment where I was encouraged, as a new teacher, to present at a professional development day in our district. It’s that little moment that pushed me out of my comfort zone and started my journey in presenting and training teachers.

It’s the little moment where a former administrator always led every conversation with “do what’s best for kids”. It’s that little moment that has framed every student learning experience and conversation that I have had within education.

It’s the little moment where an administrator bought a book that introduced to me to the world of Twitter. It’s that little moment which has connected me to the educational world on a global level, which ultimately led to amazing opportunities (Google Trainer, Google Innovator, BoostEDU, etc.)

It’s the little moment of joining summer school and having deep conversations about education with excited, passionate professionals. It’s that little moment that completely redefined how I taught in my classroom.

It’s the million, little conversations between a mentor about next steps, future paths and leadership. It’s that little moment that led me to applying for my current position.

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I could write a dozen more “little moments” and how they shaped who I am and the trajectory of my career. There are so many people that I am thankful for and how they have supported me over the years. I’m certainly not perfect and I have had a lot of learning experiences along the way but I appreciate every little moment.

Finally, I want to take those little moments and ask myself this question:

How can I provide little, impactful moments for the educators that I will be working with this year?

As we go into this year, I want to constantly reflect on who I am and how I can be a servant to others. I want to reflect on how I can help grow other educators and leaders around me. I hope I can do that. I hope I can be that person.

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Share your “little moments” or the way you inspire others in the comments below!