“He who has a why to live for
can bear almost any how.” -
Friedrich Nietzsche
CHANGE is a big, scary word for most
people. We know our routines and we are as comfortable in them as in our
favorite jeans. So when we are asked to
change, that can make us uncomfortable.
And change is hard work. So how do we find the energy to move change forward? Knowing our “why” can help fuel the change.
Several
years ago, I was tasked with adopting new literacy materials for the elementary
schools in my district. More important
than just updating old books, we had to have a purpose for spending hundreds of
thousands of dollars on materials. We had to find out why. So we created philosophy statements to guide
our work and then searched for materials that aligned with them. Statements
like:
The
learner must be at the center of literacy instruction.
Literacy
instruction equips students to construct meaning, think critically, form
educated opinions, and make knowledgeable decisions.
Literacy
learning must include a wide range of reading, writing, communication, and
technology associated with life today and life in the future.
Our
philosophy statements helped frame our “why” for finding and using new
resources. We teach literacy because we
want our students to think critically and make knowledgeable decisions. We
teach literacy because we want our students to be have tools for effective
communication.
Change
in our 30 elementary schools was hard work. Many teachers hadn’t previously
used small group instruction, but we were fueled by our philosophy that “Instruction
should target students’ needs and be provided at their instructional level.” When we hit a road block or a challenge, we
worked through or around it; our philosophy statements gave us resilience.
So
what is your why? First think about your
why as a coach (because there will certainly be days when you need to remind
yourself why you are doing this hard work!).
To find your coaching why, ask yourself:
·
What is it about your job that
inspires you?
What are you passionate about? When you focus on what you are passionate about,
your influence and impact increase. What
you do has to be congruent with what you care about.
·
What are your strengths? What talents and skills do you
bring to the table. This is your private
reflection time, so don’t be modest.
Knowing what you are good at helps to focus your why.
·
How will you measure success? Working toward the goals that matter most to
you gives you purpose. When we align the
work we are doing (both baby steps and big ones) with the objectives we want to
achieve, we lengthen our stride. We accept challenges that extend and inspire
us.
Go
ahead. Take a moment to ponder your
inspiration, your strengths, and your objectives. Then craft a power statement
that is your why for coaching. After
you’ve lived this process for yourself, you can guide others through it,
finding whys specific to an initiative you are leading or a goal for school
improvement that your faculty has set.
Our whys ignite our passion, fuel our creativity, and give us the energy
for the hard work we call CHANGE.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
Why
students’ happiness matters:
More
writing, less grading:
How
to make a hovercraft (and other inexpensive, do-it-yourself physics ideas):
Using
books to teach social-emotional skills:
Paraphrasing in science:
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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