My paternal grandfather was an amazing man. He and my dad hunted and collected "Indian Rocks" which he displayed in a "museum" that he built in his yard. The community would come for tours as well as students from the nearby elementary school.
My Pa Ted was an extremely religious man. He loved Jesus, his country, and his family dearly. He was a pillar in his small community - serving on the fire department for 60 years. He was a Kentucky Colonel and grew one of the grandest vegetable gardens in the southeastern United States. He has been gone for three years this December and I miss him so much.
We often quote his pearls of wisdom since my dad relayed many of them to us as we grew up. In high school, I remember complaining about having to go to work and my Dad correcting me to say, "No, you get to go to work today." He had experienced the same correction from my grandfather as a teenger.
Although my Pa is gone, his wisdom is still being passed on through my Dad.
Leadership can be a very lonely position and I appreciate my dad's perspective from his previous management experiences. Early in my career as an assistant principal, I remember explaining a situation from the day and started by saying, "One of my teachers..." My dad was quick to correct me once again, this time with a simple, "one of our teachers."
I didn't need an explanation. I had heard my father refer to "our crew" and my grandfather refer to "our factory" when discussing work situations. It's a simple phrase, easy to make and often done without thinking, but there is no need to claim ownership of students, teachers, and schools to prove you are a leader.
I have recently read many tweets, articles, and even a book on school culture with reference to "my" teachers or "my school."
Call me old-fashioned, but I think the first step in improving school culture is realizing that there is no "me" or "mine" but rather "we" and "our." Shared ownership is a must if we want to move schools forward and model for students (& staff) what it means to be a leader.
Thoughts?
 |
| My sisters and I with my Pa Ted on Easter Sunday in Kentucky. |
My Pa Ted was an extremely religious man. He loved Jesus, his country, and his family dearly. He was a pillar in his small community - serving on the fire department for 60 years. He was a Kentucky Colonel and grew one of the grandest vegetable gardens in the southeastern United States. He has been gone for three years this December and I miss him so much.
We often quote his pearls of wisdom since my dad relayed many of them to us as we grew up. In high school, I remember complaining about having to go to work and my Dad correcting me to say, "No, you get to go to work today." He had experienced the same correction from my grandfather as a teenger.
Although my Pa is gone, his wisdom is still being passed on through my Dad.
Leadership can be a very lonely position and I appreciate my dad's perspective from his previous management experiences. Early in my career as an assistant principal, I remember explaining a situation from the day and started by saying, "One of my teachers..." My dad was quick to correct me once again, this time with a simple, "one of our teachers."
I didn't need an explanation. I had heard my father refer to "our crew" and my grandfather refer to "our factory" when discussing work situations. It's a simple phrase, easy to make and often done without thinking, but there is no need to claim ownership of students, teachers, and schools to prove you are a leader.
I have recently read many tweets, articles, and even a book on school culture with reference to "my" teachers or "my school."
Call me old-fashioned, but I think the first step in improving school culture is realizing that there is no "me" or "mine" but rather "we" and "our." Shared ownership is a must if we want to move schools forward and model for students (& staff) what it means to be a leader.
Thoughts?
Comments
Post a Comment