One of the most powerful tools for improvement is personal reflection. I had a profound moment of realization the other day. I realized that…I am afraid! Yes, I am a grown man and admit that fact. Not scared. Afraid. Not of the dark nor things that go ‘bump’ in the night, but actually of things that are real.
In fact, I even made a list of these real things of which I am afraid as a leader. These are:
I am afraid that I will not inspire my staff.
I am afraid that I will not appreciate them enough.
I am afraid that I will not provide enough support to them.
I am afraid that I will not give specific enough feedback directly linked to improved teaching and learning.
I am afraid that I will not be learning quickly enough to stay current with best practice.
I could go on, but I realize that it makes me vulnerable to criticism by sharing these, but more importantly, it makes me consciously aware that I do all of these things of which I am afraid.
Thank you for letting me be vulnerable. I’m still afraid…
Ron
Thank you for being willing to put yourself out there. It’s nice to know that I am not alone.
Thank you for your thoughts and being “real.” I do feel inspired by you, especially as you share your thoughts and connections from other “principal opportunities/duties.” You are on twitter until wee hours of the morning keeping up to date with best practice. As a staff, I know we feel appreciated when you observe, know and understand what is happening in our individual classrooms. We also appreciate the fact that you give us opportunities to focus on our Grade Level needs during Prof Dev days like this part PD Wed.
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