School culture and relationship-building will be a large focus of several sessions during the Instructional Leadership Symposium, hosted at Waukee High School on June 10, 2014. We thought it was worth some pre-discussion and consideration....
The title to this post most likely sounds familiar. If you have been hired for a position in teacher leadership, you, metaphorically, raised your right hand during your interview and, somewhat-under-oath, swore to build and maintain trusting relationships with all teachers and staff.
While we all pledged this truth with complete conviction and loyalty, we will all find ourselves "on the stand" facing a jury of our colleagues. And rightly so. A jury's job is to discover truth and those we lead are our jury. Upon cross-examination, they should find us "in good accordance" of teacher leadership.
So when we are asked, "How have you built and maintained trusting relationships?", we should be prepared to describe our actions and our intent. The stenographer's notes should tell our story...
"The idea that we shall build and maintain trusting relationships with all teachers and staff is more than just a "catch-phrase" for us. We actually DO trust the people we work with. Trust is not about expecting teachers to be perfect. It is about trusting in their potential and in their journey. It is about trusting that we do not have to run our own agenda or force our ideas upon another human being in order for them to be successful. We understand that "power with" is much more effective than "power over". We trust that everyone has a strong and innate desire to improve and it is our life work to help identify and remove roadblocks to growth. We seek out moments to move individuals and groups from their current state to their desired state. We do not close the door on anyone because we trust in the ultimate ability to expand and succeed. You see, the travels of teachers are not our own. Humanity demands that we do not "GPS" the creative and innovative avenues of others. We are the passengers (adoringly known as the co-pilots) in these delicate, dazzling, and delightful journeys and destinations. We will travel miles to meet our teachers where they are."
How can you object to that kind of leadership?
Furthermore (in case we need topping-on-the-cake closing remarks), when we speak of trusting the travels and journeys of our teachers, we should be thinking about the ultimate judge...our students. When we confess our stories of teacher leadership, it all comes down to the students. They are the ones holding the gavel and asking, "How far we will we travel?".
The title to this post most likely sounds familiar. If you have been hired for a position in teacher leadership, you, metaphorically, raised your right hand during your interview and, somewhat-under-oath, swore to build and maintain trusting relationships with all teachers and staff.
While we all pledged this truth with complete conviction and loyalty, we will all find ourselves "on the stand" facing a jury of our colleagues. And rightly so. A jury's job is to discover truth and those we lead are our jury. Upon cross-examination, they should find us "in good accordance" of teacher leadership.
So when we are asked, "How have you built and maintained trusting relationships?", we should be prepared to describe our actions and our intent. The stenographer's notes should tell our story...
"The idea that we shall build and maintain trusting relationships with all teachers and staff is more than just a "catch-phrase" for us. We actually DO trust the people we work with. Trust is not about expecting teachers to be perfect. It is about trusting in their potential and in their journey. It is about trusting that we do not have to run our own agenda or force our ideas upon another human being in order for them to be successful. We understand that "power with" is much more effective than "power over". We trust that everyone has a strong and innate desire to improve and it is our life work to help identify and remove roadblocks to growth. We seek out moments to move individuals and groups from their current state to their desired state. We do not close the door on anyone because we trust in the ultimate ability to expand and succeed. You see, the travels of teachers are not our own. Humanity demands that we do not "GPS" the creative and innovative avenues of others. We are the passengers (adoringly known as the co-pilots) in these delicate, dazzling, and delightful journeys and destinations. We will travel miles to meet our teachers where they are."
How can you object to that kind of leadership?
Furthermore (in case we need topping-on-the-cake closing remarks), when we speak of trusting the travels and journeys of our teachers, we should be thinking about the ultimate judge...our students. When we confess our stories of teacher leadership, it all comes down to the students. They are the ones holding the gavel and asking, "How far we will we travel?".