The Wonder and Worry of Back to School

“Theologians, writers, poets, and musicians have always used the wilderness as a metaphor, to represent everything from a vast and dangerous environment where we are forced to navigate difficult trials to a refuge of nature and beauty where we seek space for contemplation.” –  Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness

Photo by Emma Bauso from Pexels

The excitement of back to school was particularly full of wonder and first day jitters for me this September. In addition to the gift of seeing my niece and nephew step onto the bus for their first day of senior kindergarten, and the anticipation of returning to my day job as a school social worker, I am also going back to school as a student this fall!

Receiving the email alert that I was accepted into the Doctorate of Educational Leadership program at Western University was both thrilling and terrifying. While I felt inspired and grateful for this incredible learning opportunity, the old familiar doubts threatened to overwhelm the joy of the moment. What if I’m not smart enough? What if I have nothing worthwhile to contribute? What if it’s too hard? What if nobody likes me? What if I fail? Over the course of my school career, these thoughts were often crippling. More recently, it’s in these moments of doubt that my hard won thinking strategies rush to the rescue. Breathe. Slow down. One step at a time. Progress, not perfection. You’ve got this. This is going to be fun!

I have spent the first ten years of my career within public education supporting students, families and communities to take care of their mental health and well-being. I have undoubtedly learned more from the people that I have had the privilege to walk alongside for a few steps of their journey than I have from any single course or textbook. And I have also been blessed with many wonderful friends, colleagues, and mentors who have supported my ongoing personal and professional growth over the years.

As I embark on these next three years of intensive study about all things learning and leadership, I look forward to the challenge, messiness, and creative joy of wondering in the wilderness. This opportunity is an incredible privilege and responsibility to investigate some of the most pressing issues facing education and our broader global community today. What is the moral purpose of education in the 21st century? How do we develop a generation of learners who have the capacities and collective commitment to address the imminent challenges facing humanity and the planet? How does our current education system contribute to the maintenance of the status quo as it relates to social inequality, unsustainable resource use, and the exploitation of human beings and the natural world? What are the opportunities for disruption?

Each and every one of us must seize the opportunity – and the responsibility — to create a Just Society: one child at a time.

– Dr. Stuart Shanker

While these big questions are pressing and incredibly important, it is equally if not more important to ground our work in the day to day realities of the students, families and communities that we serve. In fact, only in doing so can we possibly hope to address the bigger challenges of our time. As Dr. Stuart Shanker says, “Each and every one of us must seize the opportunity – and the responsibility – to create a Just Society: one child at a time.” In light of this call to action, how do we better select and implement interventions to promote the growth and potential of every child? How do we engage harder to reach students and families? How do we monitor and measure our impact? What do we truly mean when we talk about student achievement and well-being?

These questions are just some of my wonders as I embark on this new chapter of my own learning journey. I hope to meet many unfamiliar creatures, perhaps some old friends, and especially some fellow wonderers. With that said, I invite you to think about and to share some of your own wonders. And as Ms. Frizzle always says, never be afraid to, “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” I hope to cross paths with you in the wilderness. Until then, happy adventuring!

Referenced Works:

Brown, Brene. (2017). Braving the Wilderness. Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

Shanker, Stuart. (2019). A Self-Reg Lens on Democracy: Creating a Just Society. =

By Stefani Burosch, Sept 4, 2019

Breathe. Slow down. One step at a time. Progress, not perfection. You’ve got this. This is going to be fun!

Tweet