MS
Why?
Sharing and Caring
When posed with the notion that others want to
be education administrators and Mick Shuran’s prompting to share something on
the topic, three major ideas popped into my mind about my journey to this role
and decision to persevere in it.
Why?
For every person who anticipates or even
aspires to be in educational administration, I would pose the quick response
for which Simon Sinek has become such a spokesperson lately:
However, I would pose the question in a mirror
to mirror sense that must continually look at the image reflected to determine
the “why” underlying the “why.” Think of the child who inquisitively and
perhaps somewhat obnoxiously fires a barrage of “whys” in an adult’s direction,
seeking multiple layers of justification for some inquiry. In other words, the
conversation may begin, “Why do you want to be a principal?” to which the
person responds, “I want to make a difference.” The next question might be,
“Why do you want to make a difference?” To which the person responds, “I
remember what an impact my high school principal made on me.” Again, the
question leads to, “Why did that principal’s model matter?” Certainly, this
could go on and on until it seems to lead away from one’s central purpose or
reason for the aspiration, but it is critically important to establish the
“why” so that it can overcome the “hows” and “whats” that will inevitably pose
seemingly insurmountable challenges without a clear sense of “why.”
Furthermore, if you can’t find your “why,” you will continually struggle to
bring others to a sense of “why” to which they can subscribe with your
leadership. Furthermore, there is a clear difference between wavering in one’s
conviction and changing one’s perspective. If your “why” changes, make sure
that it is led by conviction, not by political agendas or influences that lead
you away from the heart of your initial purpose.
My “why” begins with a purpose greater than my
own, a purpose driven by my faith in Jesus Christ and God’s will for my life to
be involved in the lives of others as a servant. As I was serving in the capacity
of high school English teacher in a school and position that I loved, I
realized that I desired to have an impact on children’s lives when they were
younger. I prayed that God would somehow answer this prayer, and within a
month, I was responding to a tweet seeking an elementary school principal.
I knew that this and the resulting position
were an answer to prayer, and my “why” was reinforced. Though I have been in
other principal roles since taking this initial principal position, I have
continued to hold onto the “why” that first catapulted me into education
administration. I like to hold the mirror of meaning before myself frequently
to learn a continually deeper “why” which evolves each day with the realization
of greater purpose that God has for me. This keeps me in humble recognition
that though the waves of education may come crashing upon me, I can ride them
without a sense of overwhelming failure even when they crash on my plans or
ideas. Within this vein, it is important to me that I fill “the right role” for
which I am appointed, not just “any” principal position. My “why” is grounded
in my being the right “fit” as a school leader for the school where I am
supposed to be, not just the qualified candidate for some school somewhere.
As a caveat, if your “why” includes any of the
following, I would discourage you from considering or continuing your path
towards educational administration:
-
A cozier, more commodious office
-
Greater sense of authority over
others
-
The opportunity to fix everything
that is wrong with education
-
Less concern over specific
students by removing yourself from the classroom
-
Popularity as a school leader
-
A higher salary without additional
time commitments
I would like to reinforce that each of these
delusions of grandeur sometimes associated with educational administration has
the wrong motives associated with it for leadership, and each further reveals
unrealistic expectations that are too often a general caricature of
principalship in our popular entertainment media which is far from the reality
of daily life as a school administrator, expectations for self-focus rather
than school community focus.
Rather than dealing with each of these
individually or other related, misaligned myths about principalship, consider
the other two words that have become the essential “hows” for the “why” that
makes a difference in the lives of a school community.
How?
Sharing
Especially notable in the expectations for
Tennessee educational administrators is the mention of “shared leadership.”
Though some may have experienced or even admired seemingly autocratic rule by
principals in the past, this is neither the norm nor the desired leadership
model for an educational administrator today. Sharing leadership requires some
very vulnerable practices, namely seeking authentic feedback and trusting
others to act in accordance with a unified “why.” It requires the patience that
not all leadership operates on a continuum that brings forth expected outcomes
within anticipated timelines. Sharing leadership means not only sharing
responsibilities but also sharing accountability for some actions for which you
aren’t directly involved, but for which your school family is. Sharing requires
us to consider other perspectives before forming our own, sharing experiences
with others in order to better empathize with their respective perspectives.
Sharing, in short, requires humility, whether intentionally sought after or
brought upon by the conditions of situations common to complex relationships
among school family members. It is imperative that one is prepared to be humble
in circumstances in which integrity is the greatest goal and that everyone should
have an opportunity to play a part.
One of the most significant features of
sharing (in terms of leadership and responsibility) for me is a release of the
burden of always having to be right (or assumed so). Many seek leadership to
have the answers that they don’t have, and fairly enough, when the answers
aren’t correct or problems can’t be solved, the leaders face the greatest
scrutiny. By surrounding myself with innovative people and problem solvers, I
can share in the struggle to solve the inevitable problems and face adversity
with resources well beyond what are in my toolbox. Sharing is not only the
right thing to do; it is imperative to the healthy functioning of a school. In
every principal role I have held, I have relied on an amazing cast of
characters around me who demonstrate amazing ingenuity in areas in which I am
an utter buffoon. In the Shakespearean play As
You Like It, Jaques reminds us that “All the world’s a stage, And all the
men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And
one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being
seven ages.” Without tapping into their expertise and experiences, I could
never
accomplish what too
often is attributed to me. If you struggle with sharing, know that going into
school
administration, and be ready to learn how, or know that you won’t be a good fit
as a
school
administrator. In short, be ready to play “many parts” and play the supporting
role just as
often as the
leading role.
How?
Caring
Sharing can’t happen without a profound
commitment to caring. At my current school, we commit to the motto: “Let’s
prove we care!” We don’t want to merely pay lip service to caring, but we want
to be held accountable to “proving” that we care. Caring is expressed in
learning student and family names and greeting them daily with a smile, in
preparing lessons that engage and enrich students’ education, and in follow-up
calls to parents and school community partners to come up with creative
solutions to life’s difficult situations. This year, we have expressed our
school philosophy in the following (included in our student handbook):
We care about…
Safety. It
is critical to a child’s learning that he or she feels safe at school.
Wellness. Health
and physical fitness significantly impact children’s development.
Attendance. Students need consistency in their routines and progression of
learning.
Academics. Developing
academic skills and critical thinking
drives lifelong learning.
Character. Students
should make informed choices and respect one another.
Equity. ALL
students should be supported based on their respective individual needs.
Opportunity. Students benefit from multiple diverse experiences.
Caring often means sacrificing comfortable
conditions for the sake of constructive solutions. Mantras without action are
moot and generally turn one into a figurehead without substance; I have found
that part of caring as a principal is investing in one’s school, investing time
and money, yes, but also investing one’s energy and attention to listen, to
respond, and to admit when I am wrong. Caring is validating others’
perspectives and seeking opportunities to empathize when doing so is possible
and sincerely understanding when empathy is beyond my capacity. I can’t relate
to everyone’s exact situation, but by caring, I can enter into a relationship
in which I am willing to listen and understand before responding.
Caring ultimately means persevering through
challenges and setting goals to improve situations for all students and
families. This is exhausting work, and I am far from meeting the expectations I
have set for myself in this area, but I want to continually act with integrity
to always empower our JWES family. Caring also means recognizing when to
exercise your sense of humor to reduce tension in a situation or to act with
grave concern to be sensitive to the serious nature of someone’s tragedy or
loss. Caring means taking a pie in the face when a child works exceptionally
hard at a fundraiser to raise funds for the school. Caring means holding back
tears when meeting with a colleague when his or her tears are too much to bear
or crying along with him or her because you know just how he or she feels. Caring
means running a mile with students while wearing a mascot costume to encourage
the students at the back to keep going. Caring means commitment and
longsuffering. I don’t want to live in the past or the future, but I want to
consider both in helping those around me to grow and achieve more every day.
Caring is intimately woven into my “why,” and I can’t imagine any significant
meaning in my role without it. Caring can’t happen effectively without the
concerted efforts of those around us committed it, and caring is far less
likely to happen if it isn’t embraced, encouraged, and perpetuated by school
leadership.
The
Journey
My journey as a school administrator is an
ever-changing puzzle of acronyms, legislative actions, curricular adjustments,
and various other commonly identified features on the edges; however, the
central pieces of the puzzle are people and the relationships that form the
basis for my “why”: sharing in the journey of educating our youth and families
through loving and caring relationships which never neglect the potential that
we all have to contribute to our world. I encourage others to think about why
you are starting your administrator journey before ever jumping into the
driver’s seat, to be ready to respond to navigation along the route, and to
change direction, as long as it allows you to arrive at your intended
destination with your invaluable passengers. Also, be willing to allow other
qualified passengers to spend some time behind the wheel with your support.
Thomas could be in this photo...it has not been confirmed.
Hey, I hope you liked this post. If you are new to this post or interested in exploring this topic even more...
to read the last post "So you want to be an admin...the director of school's perspective."
Stay tuned for the next post "So you want to be an admin...the aspiring admin."
MS
