Why I Lead #SAVMP

I am very excited about a recent program I joined. I am now a proud member of the #SAVMP program. SAVMP is the School Admin Virtual Mentor Program started up by George Couros. And, now that I have been paired with my mentor and mentee partners, I am most energized by the global perspective I will gain from a mentor outside the U.S. Our perspectives will certainly be varied; however, I imagine the human situation will provide multiple common leadership experiences.

George Couros
Our Fearless Leader

As part of the program, I have several assignments. And, after taking care of the many steps in our first assignment, I must proclaim that I have already learned several things. And.....if you know me......LEARNING IS MY FAVORITE!

Yet, the most daunting part of my assignment is before me now. I am to write a BLOG entry on Why I Lead. Generally, self-reflection is easy for me and probably is why I was such a strong teacher. I spent most of my waking hours trying to revise and fine tune my practice so that my audience (students) were presented with the best lessons  and learning possible. This assignment stumped me--just a little. I have always struggled with the fact that leadership requires me to be in the forefront ALL the time. I have often preferred providing the structures for someone else to lead. I was always comfortable with being #2 or #3. So....when asked the question, why I lead, I had to have that internal deliberation about why I would pursue a career that puts me where I am sometimes uncomfortable.

Here are my conclusions:

1. I have a sharp and clear vision about what GREAT teaching and learning looks like. From the first day I entered the classroom, I had that "with-it-ness" that administrators look for in a new teacher. And within one year, I was seeking every professional development opportunity I could to improve and provide the best for my students. Within 5 years, I was courted by a curriculum resource technology team called the Beacon Learning Center. And at that point, I was then teaching veteran teachers how to wield the power of technology to increase engagement and productivity in the classroom. In addition, Beacon, from the beginning, took a hard-line stance on crafting the finest of lessons--using the backward design model and ONLY standards-driven units and lessons. All lessons went through a rigorous proving ground of peer feedback before being revealed to the public. So.....way back in the 90's I was able to develop a clear vision of what effective teaching is and what to do when the students don't learn....the spiraling of the curriculum. Well, even now, sometimes on a weekly basis I run into teachers (whether it be on the WEB or in real-time) who don't understand the link between CIA (Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment). So, I knew it would require someone to lead others to the power these structures provide for affecting student learning. I can help my talented co-workers work smarter not harder.  :O)

2. I am always on the first wave of all change and innovation. I sat in a workshop last week and heard an experienced teacher tell me the one thing she hates about education is that it is constantly changing. I was running a whole other paradigm through my brain while she said this. What if the physician's practice of 100 years ago had stayed the same and no innovation was allowed? What if our hospitals didn't change with the advances of modern medicine? Our teachers are amazing professionals, and embracing change should be a MUST! Just like a doctor who seeks the right combination of medicines and advancements to cure his patient's ills, we educators must grab and experiment with every change that comes along to see if it helps our students achieve their potential. I think this no-change mindset is one of the greatest obstacles in current educational practices. When our students walk in the door and know more about the computer or how to leverage social media for learning than we do, then it is like the patient knowing more than the doctor. So, I knew it would require someone to lead others to the magnificent capabilities of technology and its impact on student learning. I see fear in the eyes of lots of teachers, and I want to show them change is safe, and it is good, and it will make them and their students better.

3. I have a very strong sense of right and wrong. This is the hardest part of the leadership role. I want the best for our teachers, our students, and our families. So, when I see a professional who is harming our educational family, especially the students, vs. helping them, I take action. This allows me to be the best advocate for the folks I am paid to protect and nurture--my team and my students. A dear friend of mine who has similar proclivities once sent me a quote:  "I always wondered, why didn't somebody do something about that, and then I figured out that "somebody" was me." I was often frustrated as a teacher when I worked with administrators who didn't correct unethical situations swirling in the occasional classroom on our campus. For example, why didn't somebody address the teacher who punished her students with their grades OR the teacher who friended all of her students on FaceBook and partied with them. It was so taxing to come to work and do my very best and work tirelessly for every minute of classroom time while others did not. So, I knew it would require a strong someone to lead and to provide the best learning environments for the entire educational community. Sad but true, this trait sometimes makes for unpopular decisions. But, as my very wise friend also told me....if you want to be loved, "Buy a puppy!"

4. I want to be a servant leader. This is the greatest goal for me personally. I want to always be a respecter of persons, a gentle but firm boss, someone who honors every opinion, and someone who serves to make the lives of everyone I lead a better life. When I make mistakes, I often try to "own" them and ask forgiveness or at least understanding. I want to be a supporter of those who support kids. I want to support, especially, my team of friends who are out there walking the same walk as me--a difficult walk. I want to serve and make everything I touch better in some way. I follow lifestyles of men and women of character with scrutiny so that I can mirror their lives and attempt to gain their same level of effectiveness and impact. Because somewhere out there, it took someone to lead .......me.