One Word: A Focus for 2016

The new year always seems an appropriate time to reflect and refocus.  Although the summer is a great opportunity to do this prior to the beginning of a new school year, educators should remember that improvement is an ongoing process.  To that end, continuous reflection and refocusing throughout the year is powerful.  What better opportunity than ringing in the new year?

One word - focusing on one word as my inspiration in school for the year.  There were several that immediately came to mind: growth, transparency, empathy, student centered, collaboration, reflection.  But upon further reflection, I decided my one word would be LEADERSHIP.

SCHOOL

Tremendous changes have been afoot since the start of the school year. Not only have several teachers left midstream for other opportunities, but we entered the school year knowing our principal would be leaving in November.  After a search a new principal was hired.  A month after she started, the assistant principal announced that she, too, would be moving on to another opportunity.  With the start of school in January, we will welcome a new assistant principal.

The teachers are the continuity.  

The teachers are the consistency.  

The teachers are the ones who have the strongest relationships with the students.  

Each of us needs to look upon ourselves as leaders.  Our collective leadership skills are what make the transition seamless with a new administrative team.  We can sustain and develop the necessary culture so that the students benefit, excel, and grow.  We do not need to wait for the administrative team, but, instead, can model for them an energetic, creative, enthusiastic, and nurturing environment.

Where others may be feeling out the new administrative team, I believe this is a great opportunity to develop a collaborative relationship within our school.  Each of us are leaders in some way. We can exercise our abilities in this moment to further our school culture.

CLASSROOM

The other draw to the word LEADERSHIP is the students.

I want my students to be leaders.  Not some of them, all of them.

So, I need to develop opportunities in which they can lead and develop their leadership skills.

The following are areas which will encourage their abilities as leaders:

Developing Voice

Students need to have input, both in class and in the world. They need to develop their voice by examining ideas and issues that are meaningful to them.  And they also need to express their thoughts about them so they can gain clarity around their ideas. Without giving them opportunities to develop their voices, students will struggle to exert themselves as leaders.  By emphasizing student voice, students will feel valued as a productive member of our classroom community, the school community, and the community outside our wall.

Challenge Themselves

It is one thing for the teacher to challenge the students, but it is a far greater opportunity for learning when students are challenging themselves.  Within the classroom, I can provide opportunities that allow for students to drive their own learning and challenge themselves.  By giving them options to impact the world, they will not only challenge themselves, but will also use their skills as leaders.  They will need to show the importance of what they are doing, will need to defend it, and will need command of written and spoken language.  

Risk Taking

Leaders take risks, and so should my students.  I want them to explore their own ideas.  I want them to try new things.  If the student hasn’t made a video before, they should try crafting one.  If the student doesn’t offer ideas much in class, they should be encouraged to do so.  If the student has not tried to convince the principal of implementing a new idea, the student should be given that opportunity.  Creating an environment in which students are comfortable to try new things - to take risks - is essential. Risk taking will develop students’ confidence in doing what they did not think was previously possible.

Perseverance

Students cannot give up easily.  Students need to be prompted to go back and rework their ideas with encouragement.  If they are going to challenge themselves and take risks, the work should be difficult.  They could become easily frustrated. They must relish the struggle instead. Promoting the idea that “You can do this,” is essential.  

Capacity

Building capacity in problem solving and skills is important.  Many skills are needed to efficiently consume information. Other skills are needed to efficiently create with this information.  Students need to build their capacity with these skills in order to better learn and better lead.  Giving them opportunities to problem solve - ideally with student generated problems - will build their capacity to come up with viable solutions.  

Each of these can be developed in students to enhance their abilities as learners and leaders. They each must, however, be modeled.

As a teacher, I can model these within the classroom. But I also need to remember that I need to exhibit the same as I demonstrate leadership within the school.

LEADERSHIP will be my focus for 2016, providing my students appropriate opportunities to develop their abilities as leaders and by taking opportunities myself to enhance school culture.

If you have "one word" you will focus on this year or have other goals for 2016 or, if this post has generated some thoughts of your own, please share in the comments. I would appreciate hearing about them.

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This post is inspired by Share #YourEduStory. The prompt from @AppEducationFox was “What is your "one word" that will inspire you in your classroom or school in 2016?”