122/365: A Life Changing Experience?

Three years ago I enrolled in a professional development opportunity.  It was my fourth attempt at attending this particular event.  It's a year-long leadership development series, with two sessions monthly and four out-of-town sessions.  It a huge time and resource commitment for participants and their sponsoring school districts.  I had heard the legend of attending the academy.  "Life changing experience" was the phrase most often used.  Now, as I think back on that time, I wonder about my own experience.

Let me start by saying that I learned many things during my year.  I got valuable information on SMART goals and data use, things that schools should be doing but typically only give lip service.  I got opportunities to listen to renowned experts and talk to some of the best minds in my field.  But I hesitate to say life-changing, or even career-changing, in that regards.

One of the most talked about pieces of the Academy is the outdoor experience.  The cadres from throughout the state converge on Lake of the Ozarks State Park for team building experiences, including a day/night of orienteering.  During OLE, you are in a group of 10-12, and it is doubtful you know any of them.  On our first day, we repelled and climbed a rock formation in addition to participating in team building exercises.  On our second day, after some rudimentary instruction, we, with our two guides, were taken out into the woods and dropped off.  We had to traverse the woods using topo maps and a compass, and locate eight flags.  We "cooked" two meals while we were orienteering and had many, many hours to form bonds.  As of today, I can name one other person in my group and my two group leaders.  So much for lasting relationships. 

Overall I did make some professional, and deeper, friendships with my local cadre.  I feel very comfortable calling upon the group if I am looking for a resource or idea.  For the first 12-24 months, there were a few that I talked with regularly.  As far as long-lasting friendships, there is only two participants with whom I still talk, and one of those is a current colleague.

I write about all this because I wonder what about the experience was life changing for enough people that aura.  I wonder if it's my personality that prevented me from being rocked to my core by the year.  I wonder if it was our group as a whole because I only know of a few who still speak to each other, and they were friends prior to starting.  I wonder if it's just a lot of hype created by former participants to justify that much time away from work.  I'll never have a definite answer, but I'll keep my commemorative mug on my desk and continue to ponder.