Hello, My Name is _______________: Andrea

We are currently introducing ourselves via narrative writing inspired by a 1999 Ann Landers column. For more information, visit this post: Hello, My Name is _______________.

A very weird thing has happened  A strange woman has maneuvered her way into my professional cadre.  I have no idea who she is, where she came from, or how she got in.  I certainly didn’t invite her.  All I know is that she wasn’t there at the start of my career, and a few years later she was. She is the one who whisked me out of my classroom and into the office I currently occupy.

If you had noticed her fifteen years ago, you would have instantly recognized her lust for new learning and her admirable work ethic, but unfortunately, she was a follower.  Too nervous to speak up for herself and too fearful others would judge her if she took the lead in professional situations, but she always did what was asked of her.  She rarely said no.

A few years into her career, the woman developed a certain level of confidence, but it was misguided. She began to speak up, but about the wrong things.  She was still blindly following others, believing in what they preached even when her gut told her otherwise. Luckily, she was still eager to learn and she continued to do so. She began to recognize the error of her ways.

Eventually, this woman’s new learning led her down a new and uncharted path  Still a hard worker, she began to do crazy things--like lead. Back then, she wasn’t a great listener, and she may have been overeager when sharing ideas and newfound knowledge with her colleagues.  Her passion led to battles--battles of mindset and philosophy.  She also started to experience internal conflict about whether or not she should move on or stay.  

I’m still not sure how she got here or how she became a part of my life, but I finally began to appreciate her passion and her thirst for knowledge.  I also admired her desire to start listening and coaching.  Admittedly, many whom she had once followed were unwilling to accompany her on her journey because she was, after all, a stranger to them too.  But there were also those whom she believed she would have to persuade and was pleasantly surprised to find many of them standing right beside her.

Even though this woman and I bare a striking resemblance, I would be very interested in having more interaction with her 10 or 15 years from now and welcoming her into whatever office I am in at that time. I trust that her passion will remain, and that she will continue to hone her skills. Maybe the office will be the same one I’m in now, but with this woman’s history, I find that highly unlikely.

Biography:

Andrea Reichenberger is starting her second year as the Instructional Literacy Coach for Menasha High School in the Menasha Joint School District.   She taught English/Language Arts at Maplewood Middle School for 13 years after working as an elementary Library Media Specialist.  Andrea is very proud of the fact that she shares a birthday with Elvis, as she is a huge fan, but has yet to visit Graceland. Making the trip is on her bucket list.  She loves to read, shop, walk/jog (more walking then jogging), and watch clever television.  Andrea lives in Appleton with her husband and two tween daughters,who are also readers. Phew!