Push the Button!

Just push the button!

"WHAT IF we believed that everything that we had to make great schools was already within our organizations, and we just needed to develop and share it?" I do believe! Everything we need DOES exist in our schools.

Poor and uneven funding , trauma, standardized testing, poor compensation...the list of "success barriers" is endless AND real. While I don't pretend to minimize any of these as things that need real solutions,  I contend that they don't really stand as true barriers. It is easy to fall into the trap (I do it often) of listing the reasons we aren't seeing the classrooms or student performance we dream of. But I have now worked in four very different schools that are resourced very differently and serve very different school populations. AMAZING teachers (and students) exist in all 4 schools. These teachers find unmatched levels of success. They are innovative practitioners (striving for new and better), risk-takers, creative thinkers,  resource hounds, true advocates for children, and tireless relationship builders. Some are firm and more "old-school" and some are the "new kids on the block". Regardless of teaching personality, they transcend excuse making and represent everything we need to make great schools.

BUT, it isn't every classroom for every child. And that isn't okay. Some of it rests with hiring and retention efforts. But as leaders, it really hinges on our ability to lead by mirroring the same qualities we want out of our staff.

What if we made a conscience effort to build personal relationships with each staff member?

What if we modeled staff PD and training that reflected the needs of adult learners and didn't replicate the instruction we DON'T want for our children?

What if we practiced mindfulness WITH our teachers and students?

What if we learned alongside our teachers and students?

What if we empowered staff and students to be problem finders and solvers?

What if we stopped saying and ACTUALLY PUSHED THE BUTTON!