At the beginning of every new school year there's at least one new initiative, or approach, or gimmick. I'm not sure why that is, other than idealists idealize things, like new years and new opportunities. To be honest, I learned early in my career what a big contrast there is from one year to next, a lesson that came mostly from being shocked by the changes-- in personnel, personalities, and group dynamics, to name the most obvious.
This time is no different, but if I've learned anything in my 25 years of teaching, it's definitely the Buddhist precept of non-attachment. Who knows if that information system, curriculum, teammate, etc. will stick?
Even so, I'm a little intrigued by the "Lead Simply" materials our principal introduced to the leadership team. Sam Parker's framework of Model. Connect. Involve. is actually quite simple (everything is contained in a slim 6'x4' 61 page volume) and aligns well with both my philosophies of leadership and teaching, which in many ways is really a specialized form of leadership.
As part of the initiative, we got Parker's book, and some swag, too: a pen, a notepad, and some sticky-notes. I had the pen, boldly emblazoned with LEAD simply, with me at our big staff meeting yesterday, and I noticed one of my very experienced teammates looking at it. Later on she stopped by my room ro ask a question and noticed the book on my desk.
"I have to ask," she smirked, "is that the instruction manual to your pen?"
This time is no different, but if I've learned anything in my 25 years of teaching, it's definitely the Buddhist precept of non-attachment. Who knows if that information system, curriculum, teammate, etc. will stick?
Even so, I'm a little intrigued by the "Lead Simply" materials our principal introduced to the leadership team. Sam Parker's framework of Model. Connect. Involve. is actually quite simple (everything is contained in a slim 6'x4' 61 page volume) and aligns well with both my philosophies of leadership and teaching, which in many ways is really a specialized form of leadership.
As part of the initiative, we got Parker's book, and some swag, too: a pen, a notepad, and some sticky-notes. I had the pen, boldly emblazoned with LEAD simply, with me at our big staff meeting yesterday, and I noticed one of my very experienced teammates looking at it. Later on she stopped by my room ro ask a question and noticed the book on my desk.
"I have to ask," she smirked, "is that the instruction manual to your pen?"
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