Why I Lead - A Life of Mentorship (#savmp)

I think leadership has always been a part of me.  It's difficult to explain.  My leadership came in the form of helping others.  My style is a quiet form of leadership backed by a strong sense of what I believe in.  It's not difficult for others to recognize what is important to me.  From there, I can lead by supporting others on their journeys of learning, teaching and leadership.

 

An Opportunuity for Mentorship

Now that I am retired, I want to focus on two things: staying involved in education and giving back to the profession.  When George Couros from Canada posed the idea of a principal mentorship, I jumped at the opportunity.  I saw it as a chance to give back and continue learning.  George had this great idea of pairing mentor principals with mentees to support them along on their leadership journey.  When he put the idea out there, he received an overwhelming response of 350 folks who showed an interest in the collaboration.  What a great opportunity to learn together.  Each mentor has been assigned three mentees.  I will be mentoring a high school vice-principal from Kenya, an assistant elementary principal from Texas, and a vice-principal from a secondary community school in British Columbia.

 

Why I Lead

George suggested we write about why we lead.  There was a time when leadership seemed a scary venture.  I was always interested in helping others recognize their potential.  Maybe that's what led me to leadership.  I strongly believe that leadership is not synonymous with position.  Long before I was a principal, I felt I was searching for ways to lead others - not to places I thought they should be but to where they wanted to go.  Part of being a leader was developing a strong sense of empathy in order to recognize what others wanted and finding ways to support them.  I watched for people who had a quest and asked:  How can I help you?  What do you need to be successful?

Early on in my career, leadership was mostly my work with children.  It came from the depths of caring, nurturing and helping them discover who they could be.  Gradually, it spread to my work with other teachers. I recognized the value of collaborating and learning from others.  I looked for ways to get conversations started and sustain the good work they were doing in classrooms.  It seems that in every position I held there were doors open for leadership experiences.  I had my own ideas to share but more so wanted to help others discover theirs.  I wanted to make an impact on the lives of others.  Maybe it is my own desire to leave a legacy - a legacy that doesn't showcase my accomplishments but the success of others.

 

Developing a Leadership Style 

For me, leadership is not taking a loud stance and demanding that people follow me.  It's about serving others and leading quietly from behind.  I have always loved this quote:

     A leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so good 
     when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise
     him ... But of a good leader who talks little when his work is 
     done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did it ourselves."  
     ~  Lao Tzu

For some, this might be considered a weak form of leadership.  But I think I lead from example and from a strong belief system that is embedded in everything I do.  People know what I will stand up for.  They know what is important to me.  They recognize my non-negotiables.  Once I have established who I am and what I stand for, I can lead quietly and by example.  So I lead with words and actions.

I want others to believe in their own potential.  I want them to know that they choose their own paths.  They make their own choices.  They take their own risks and reap the rewards.  For me, leading means unlocking potential, connecting people, and promoting their independence - working myself into the background so they can lead themselves and begin to lead others. 

Leading is about building a community in which others can succeed.  At school, that means creating a network of collaborations that support learning and leading.  It's important to me that students as well as teachers have a strong voice in what happens at school. 

At this point in my life, I am searching for new ways to lead.  I am looking forward to participating in the principal mentorship opportunity and I continue to grow and learn.  That's the best part!

Three Days of Inspiration - Life and School

The last three days have been both exhausting and inspirational.  I will be reflecting on my three days in the next few blog posts.  Here are my thoughts on life and school.

 

On Day 1, I went to Apple Tree Auction Center with my husband.  It was just a day meant for fun - a way to celebrate my new-found freedom after retiring from the principalship. This day was my birthday, and I decided that I wanted to go to the local Apple Tree Auction Center  for the day.  I love the feeling of finding little treasures and the thrill of bidding against others to get them.  My husband and I furnished our first apartment by going to auctions, and so we both have enjoyed it over the years.

Apple Tree Auction Center

On this day, we intended to stay at the auction for just a few hours and ended up staying the whole day. We bought some large furniture items for my son, who is always filling his apartment with an interesting and eclectic collection of treasures.

I bought a wicker basket for my yarn and knitting projects and a little tapestry stool for a foot rest at my writing desk.  

We even purchased two cardboard boxes of  rocks (yes, rocks!) for my grandchildren.  At ages 5 and 3, they are so curious and love collecting rocks around the town and on vacation.  The rocks we purchased are fascinating.  Whole and partial quarts are embedded in the large stones.  We know the kids will spend hours as apprentice geologists deep in curious exploration.

I even fancied purchasing an odd but interesting piece of furniture that would inspire my writing but I feared that the item was so "unique" (and I say that kindly) that I would not have a place for it in my home.  It would have been a great place to think, imagine and write - a cue for my writing mind to get to work.

When the auction was finished, we set out to find a U-Haul truck so we could remove our purchased items before the auction house closed for the day.  We picked up the truck, and 100 miles later the furniture was delivered to my son's apartment and the rental truck returned.  Another 40 miles later, we were home and exhausted.  I love the way I was able to choose what I did that day and the small treasures that I added to my home.  It was also a great day to spend with my husband pursuing one of our shared interests.

Since retiring, I have discovered a new flexibility in my life that I  really enjoy.  I can get up and do whatever I want whenever I want.  If I feel like working hard to accomplish something, I do it.  If I want to rest and relax, I can do that, too. It's a nice feeling.  My life is filled with less "have-to" tasks and more time for "want-to" choices.  I am very fortunate.

But what about school?

I am wondering about the parallels between this day and a child's (and teacher's) day at school.  How can we make school and life like this for our children and teachers?  Does is require stepping away from rigid schedules and prescribed curriculum?  Would more choice and a student-centered environment encourage exploration, choice, curiosity and new learning?

I was so excited about the sense of adventure the auction offered me.  I had no plans accept to be there and soak in the experience.  I spent the day examining the items in the auction like an explorer anxious for new discoveries.  I used my phone to search online for the price of a beautiful wooden clock I found.  I determined what I was willing to pay for each item, and I anticipated what others would be willing to invest.  I mentally kept track of how much I was spending for the day.  I was disappointed when I missed a bid for a box of beautiful glass paperweights (and came home to do some research on them so I would be equipped to bid if I came across them again).  I conquered my fears of bidding wrongly based on the fast and furious words of the auctioneer.  I quietly celebrated when I won the bid for the items I really wanted.

So how can we help make school life more like real life? (No, it doesn't require a field trip to the auction center.)  Can we be the designers of a new life at school where children are curious and invested in learning?  Can students and teachers be makers of school adventures that inspire us to explore, research and learn?  Can we help students understand that math has a place in the world?  Can we encourage our students to navigate to knew learning as I did with the glass paperweights?  Can we help children conquer the fear of making mistakes and help them realize that mistakes are all part of learning?

I think we can.  What are your thoughts?

Today is one of those quiet, contemplative days with a steady sprinkle of rain and grey skies. As a person in my late teens and early twenties, I used to love to sit in a chair by the window in my parent's home. On rainy days, I would always find myself reading or writing in that chair. The chair was a cue for slowing down, reflecting and thinking about my place in the world.


I recently came home from a two-day writing retreat with Choice Literacy friends and writers at the Inn at Cedar Falls in Ohio. We had two days of wonderful weather - mild temperatures and sunny days. It was a wonderful time to begin to reinvent my life as a writer and find my new place in the world. I have recently retired from public education. I have had 37 wonderful years connected to teachers and children. I taught for 24 years and have been a principal for the last 13 years. I wouldn't change my life in education. It has been many years of sharing, growing, learning. However, it's time to think about the coming years and the opportunities I have for new adventures. I can't abandon my connection with children, teachers and other colleagues. I won't abandon my reading and writing. They will bring me new journeys and new discoveries.


The last few days at the writing retreat have helped me to begin reprogramming my brain. Instead of juggling the tasks of opening a new school year, I have the gift of time and choice. What a treasure!

A perennial writer.

It has been way too long since I have posted on my blog. Life (and work) just kind of got in the way. Today, these flowers from my garden reminded me that I can start again. Over the last couple of years, by husband and I have been working on the garden in front of our home. We were determined to build a garden of perennials so we could enjoy the flowers every year (without the work that annuals bring). Today I cut these beautiful flowers from our garden. I know these flowers will return next year in the same way that I am returning to writing. I have spent a winter of life doing so many other things that my brain could not slow down enough to think, reflect, imagine and write. I have recently retired from my career in education. I have been a principal for 13 years and the time has come to step back and let someone else take the leadership role in what is a fantastic school. As my days become less busy, I feel like I am beginning to come alive again, poking through the threshold that has held me so tightly for the last few year. I feel as though I am just beginning to poke my way toward the light, the sun, the refreshing rain. As the days pass, I hope to spend my time growing as a writer - to practice my craft, to share my thoughts with others. I feel alive!

A Gathering of Thoughts

I learn so much from those folks in my PLN. This morning as I reviewed my Twitter feed I came across a link to Chirpstory. I was curious enough to take a look. It seemed like a great tool for gathering tweets to create a story.

I attended the Dublin Literacy Conference this weekend. Several colleagues tweeted throughout the conference so I thought Chirpstory might be a way to capture some of responses to the presenters at the conference. So many smart thoughts were captured in those tweets.

So I created a Chirpstory titled Dublin Literacy Conference. It was a fun new tool that I am sure I will use again sometime. Maybe you will have some fun creating a Chirpstory.

Where are the Children?

In January, I attended Educon 2.3 at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. It is a wonderful conference attended by many who care about learning, technology and the future of education. Prior to the conference an invitation was sent out to participate in Encienda

I am particularly worried about the current educational landscape. I worry that we are losing our children in many ways and hope that we can turn things around. So my presentation is called "Where are the Children". I have embedded here if you are interested in hearing what I have to say. I would love your comments as well. presentations. It is an interesting and challenging format: 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. The presenter narrates the presentation along with the slides.

A Plan for Thoughtful Learning

Many years ago (25 to be exact), I wrote an article about the importance of paying attention to children. I came across the article the other day as I was cleaning out some files. For me, it was confirmation that my core beliefs are alive and well. I think I submitted the article to a few magazines but no one every picked it up. The importance of the article now is that it is yet another reminder of what I am afraid we are losing in education. We are losing the children.

There are many of us out there talking about educational reform. I agree with the sense of urgency and I support many of the actions suggested by the most thoughtful educators across the world. Visit the Cooperative Catalyst blog to read some of the most thought provoking posts on school reform and the actions that will move us forward to more meaningful learning. My list of actions include four reminders to be thoughtful and purposeful about the days I spend with children and teachers.

Never Forget the Learner:
I don't want to appear simplistic but, for me, the most compelling reminder is to never forget the learner. Some days it's like fighting through a snow storm when you can barely see a few feet in front of you. You try to clear your vision to get where you are going, but it's tough. Or it's like working your way through a crowded highway of traffic. You are sure about where you want to go but so many starts and stops get in the way. Or it's that long "to do" list that keeps you from doing the meaningful work you know you should be doing like spending time with children.

Think Deeply:
The distractions we face today are enormous. I don't need to list them here because we all sense the pull of the meaningless diversions we experience each day. These take us away from deeply thinking about learning, teaching, leadership and our children's future. So my next reminder-to-self is to slow down and prioritze the thinking and learning I do each day. I need to make time to dig deeply beyond the surface of my thoughts and actions.

Demystify Learning
I worry about the disconnect children feel about school and learning. At our school, they come smiling through the front door each morning but I am not sure they are engaged and involved in their own learning. They are great kids, but I wonder if they have learned to play the game of school. They are good at figuring out what WE want and complying. But where is the curiosity and the passion? I wonder if our students think about the ways they learn, what they care about, and a desire to connect with the world.

Inspire
Someone suggested we choose one single word that drives us throughout the new year. My word is INSPIRE. I need to take some time for my own inspiration. The pace and intensity of the day often diverts me away from engaging my brain and my heart long enough to experience the inspiration that comes from spending time with children and teachers. I hope to inspire others throughout the coming year. That will mean helping them to find what matters, to think deeply and to take action.

So I have etched out a plan for the coming year. I will need many reminders along the way. I know that the educators I connect with each day will help me stay focused on what counts - our children.