I’ve worked with some very knowledgeable people over the years. Knowledge alone doesn’t make a good teacher.
I’ve worked with well-credentialed people over the years. Certifications and degrees don’t make good teachers.
After teaching for a couple years in Baltimore City Public Schools, a veteran teacher pointed out to me that good teachers know how to manage a classroom. I saw this for myself too - teachers with positive reputations among the faculty were teachers who kept their classrooms in order.
But that’s only part of it; I’ve also worked with extremely strict teachers who kept an ordered classroom, but there were many who saw these people as bad teachers.
Then there’s this need in the classroom too: actual learning.
Good teaching is leadership.
Leading the educational conversations in the classroom.
Leading the culture of a classroom.
Leading the behavior in a classroom by modeling respect, compassion, curiosity, and understanding.
Leading by creating a safe and welcoming space in the classroom.
Leading by striking a balance among instruction, guidance, and autonomy.
Leading by sharing clear expectations.
Leading by being willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with students AS a perpetual student themselves.
Good teachers are leaders in the classroom, and those classroom leadership skills can translate extraordinarily well into other leadership contexts.
But not all teachers are good teachers, and not all school leaders are good leaders.
I began this blog over two years ago as an exploration. I’m masterful in the classroom, yet I know there’s nothing special about me. Through training and commitment, I’ve been able to tap into something that is inherent in all of us: Leadership in all contexts of our lives.
My mission is to awaken the Master Leader in all of us - in our classrooms, in our families, in our communities, and in our commitments.
Leadership isn’t control and it isn’t about followers. Leadership is being an owner of the spirit, especially when it would be so much more convenient to be a victim to our circumstances.
We need school administrators and classroom teachers to understand the impact of their leadership and to wake up to their fullest capacity to be Master Leaders.
And the rest of us need to wake up to this as well - for ourselves, for the people we care about, and for the world.
Thanks so much for reading. 🙏❤️
P.S. As a transformational coach, I help people and organizations move beyond their self-imposed limitations to be their best and feel amazing. If you’re interested in finding out how I can support you or your organization, schedule an exploration with me. 💌
Commenti